Starting Over
by ScottXLoganNetwork
Summary: Scott's still alive and stripped of his powers when Logan finds him. The two pick up where they left off in their relationship with one another before Scott's 'death'.  Slash, A/U incorporates film references including Wolverine Origins
1. Chapter 1

When life changed again for Scott it began as a day just like any other. The traffic was heavy, the people rude and the thunderstorm rolling overhead was all the motivation he needed to second guess the decision he'd made to take this next step in his life. Yes, as clichéd as it was he was ready for change. He'd told himself that he was again feeling eager for the next big adventure, but he had no idea what truly lay ahead for him on the path he'd taken. An adventure would've been easy, but this, well this was so much more. It was the last thing he'd anticipated, yet the much needed push in the right direction to where his life was ready to go.

"Damn rain," an agitated voice rose with the thunder when Scott stepped into the smoky lounge adjacent to the busy airport terminal. While Scott had plenty of things he still had to do including putting in a few last minute email messages to everyone he had to follow up with before this trip, he couldn't help, but silently agree with the man's assessment of the weather. The rain seemed to bring out the worst in people, taking them from decent civilized people and transforming them into something darker, something more animalistic and primitive with the honking of the horns and the curse words they swore weren't a part of their vocabulary while they sat in church. It was truly the worst of the worst when the weather howled and protested with thunder, but today was about new beginnings-about doing what was needed to go to the next level.

"The next level," he mouthed to himself pulling out the tiny black jewelry box in his pocket. Yeah, what fun it would be to go there. Just one more expected step in the journey life had pushed upon him. Opening up the box, he stole a look at the diamond inside seeing it's sparkle, but much like the jewel he felt cold and empty inside at the thought of what was ahead. It was a lie-one that was followed by another string of sins he would commit on the path of normalcy his history set out for him. Allowing that thought to darken his already sour mood, Scott closed the jewelry box and shoved it back into his trousers.

"Another day for another headache," he mouthed to himself walking over to the bar to calm his nerves with a drink. It wasn't that he hated the idea of flying commercial so much as opposed to piloting. He'd gotten used to it over the years, but today, well, with the weather and the reports of it only getting worse on the horizon, he needed something to distract him.

Walking over to the bar Scott spotted an opening in the midst of the crowded lounge up front and center. He took in a breath and made a move towards the one open seat near the end of the bar. Still being one for politeness and what was considered proper he spoke up to the man seated beside the stool.

"Excuse me sir, is this seat taken?" he asked in that same casual, polite fashion that he had been raised to use in dealing with the world around him. It was rare trait in the world, but one that had served him well through the years.

The man shook his head, not bothering to look back over his strong, solid shoulder. He simply shrugged and returned his attention to the bowl of peanuts before him, "Suit yourself. Seat's yours."

"Thanks," Scott scooted in onto the barstool feeling suddenly very out of his element crunched in between a man who smelled like mothballs and the one who allowed him access to the chair. He swiveled a bit trying not to bump either one of them with his elbows when the bartender arrived.

"What can I get for ya?" she questioned with a thick southern accent. She was clearly not a native of the area with her thick brown hair and almond shaped eyes, yet Scott couldn't help, but feel as if she was at perfect ease in her surroundings working in such a dismal place.

"Huh?" Scott questioned seeing she was staring at him expectantly. "Oh right…I'll take a club soda with lime please."

"A club soda," she gave him a look that read surprise. Then again Scott wasn't like any other patron in the lounge judging by the beer bottles and shot glasses that lined up the bar before him.

"On second thought how about a cranberry juice and vodka?"

"Would you like to have me put in a little pink umbrella for you?" the bartender wrinkled her nose at Scott, amusement twinkling behind her chocolate colored eyes.

"Only if you want to," Scott shrugged knowing that she was mocking him, but he really didn't care. He didn't have time to care now that he had a list of emails to return and a limited amount of time to get it done in. He pulled out his smart phone and returned to the task at hand only to discover that he'd lost the signal within the walls of the lounge. He'd contemplated leaving, but when the bartender returned setting down a glass with a tiny pink and green umbrella in it, he couldn't help but smirk.

"Cute," Scott fought to refrain from rolling his eyes. He tried to hide the sarcasm in his tone as he reached for his wallet. He threw a few bills down on the counter and reached for the glass bringing it up to his lips, "Bottoms up."

"Yeah I'm sure," she reached for the money tucking it into the front of her plunging neckline before walking away to tend to another customer.

Shaking his head Scott shifted the umbrella around and took a sip of the drink. It was much stronger than he'd anticipated, but then again after having found himself bullied by his own feelings of inadequacy over not 'fitting in' he figured it was just what he would have to endure. The liquid burned down his throat and he contemplated all the ways in which the drink order reflected his life. For so long it was about doing what everyone expected, about what everyone else wanted for him, never really taking the time to do what it was that he wanted. Hell, looking back on his life he wasn't really sure what he wanted anymore. It didn't seem fair to indulge the fantasy given there was no longer time for that anymore.

"I think she likes you," the man beside him noted, nudging him in the ribs with a surprising poke. Although he hadn't turned around to look at Scott before, Scott could hear the rumble of amusement in his tone when Scott set the glass down on the counter. "The umbrella was a nice touch."

"I didn't ask for…" Scott stopped feeling flustered when a puff of smoke fell from his lips. He held a cigar out in the air, waving it around lazily and Scott couldn't help but cringe. Scott had never been into smoking, never really found his way to enjoying the taste or the smell of it when it was around him. He'd had allergies growing up and…it didn't matter. The man beside him certainly didn't seem the type to put the cigar out even if he'd asked politely, so there was no point in suggesting it.

"It suits you," he mouthed, revealing a thick Australian accent in his voice. He sat up straighter, twisting in his bar stool just in time for Scott to take a first look at his face. He wasn't at all what Scott anticipated when he took a seat beside him. The leather jacket he was wearing was tanned and weathered by years of use. His hair was dark and unruly, but his eyes were expressive and almost golden in color. They were beautiful really, far more impressive than anything he'd seen before and they fit his striking features more so than Scott had cared to admit. His face had a strong, solid, stubble dusted jaw, his mouth curving upward in amusement with the roll of laughter over his lips. He held a cigar in one hand, the other resting on the bar just beyond his glass. Scott couldn't help, but follow the man's fingers, his eyes traveling up the man's jacket covered arm to take note of his strong, solid musculature. At first the man had been hunched over giving the illusion of someone who wasn't really aware of his surroundings, just another drunk in the bar passing his time until his flight called upon him, but now Scott was able to see just how incredibly wrong he was about the man. Now, the man Scott hadn't given a second thought to was suddenly by far the more fascinating creature in the room. Realizing he was staring Scott looked to his drink again.

"I'm just passing through," Scott mouthed foolishly, feeling a heat in his face after the way he'd just been mentally sizing his companion up. Scott didn't know why the thought had overtaken him, but when he felt his strong, solid thigh brush up against his lean, muscular leg, Scott felt something he hadn't before. The sensation rippled through his body, drawing an entirely off course set of mental portraits he dared not speak of in his mind. Clearing his throat Scott gripped onto his glass again.

"I can see that," he nodded giving Scott a long once over. While the man's eyes weren't upon Scott the perusal he was giving Scott was more than obvious in the mirror before them. Scott had tried to pretend he hadn't noticed, but it was there…it was reflective of the same scrutiny Scott's blue eyes had given him from behind the confines of his thin, wire rimmed glasses. Scott had been checking him out and he'd noticed. Now the ruggedly handsome man beside Scott was doing the same to him with a torturously slow brush of his gaze upon Scott. Nervously Scott spoke up fumbling with his words, "I'm just passing through and…"

"You're a jittery one, aren't you?" he questioned with another rumble of laughter. Sitting up straighter on his barstool he brought the cigar into his mouth again. He took another puff of it and laughed, "Though I should've guessed it by the way you walked in here. You looked out of place."

"I'm waiting for a flight and…" Scott paused thinking about what he'd said. He brought his hand up through his neat, wavy brown hair and frowned, "What makes you think I look out of place?"

His companion's brow creased, eyes shifting downward to the umbrella in his glass. Scott frowned, pulling it out of the glass and setting it on top of the bar.

"I didn't ask for it," Scott protested with a huff, his agitation expanding with the way the man was eyeing him with scrutiny.

"You didn't refuse it either when she offered it to you," he pointed out giving Scott another long once over, "but then again something tells me that you're a yes man. You seem like the kind of guy who doesn't put up much of a fight for what he wants."

"You'd be surprised," Scott wrinkled his nose at him. Scott had already had enough of this sexy stranger's assessments. Even if the man was easy on the eyes and rather attractive in ways Scott didn't care to admit to consider given his background, he didn't appreciate being sized up.

"I doubt it," he shrugged again, turning his attention to the beer he'd been nursing before Scott arrived.

"Yeah, well what does it matter to you?" Scott snapped back stubbornly, his frustration at being stuck in such a place getting the best of him in the moment.

"It doesn't," he took a long swig of the beer he'd been drinking, "I didn't mean to get your panties in a bunch."

"I don't wear panties," Scott hissed, in a pinched, agitated tone. Scott was a bit louder than he'd anticipated as a few eyes had fallen upon the both of them.

"Really?" he laughed, knowing full well Scott had set himself up for the look the man was now giving him. "Somehow you struck me as a pink, frilly kind of guy."

"Well I'm not," Scott snapped, unable to contain the bristling response that overtook him in the moment. Suddenly very embarrassed and annoyed, Scott spoke up again quietly, "not that it's any of your business what I wear underneath my…never mind."

"You were the one that brought it up," he shrugged his shoulders and puffed on his cigar again. "I was merely trying to conduct a conversation with you…"

"Well don't," Scott replied like a petulant child who had been being harassed by others on the playground, "because I have plenty of important things I need to be focusing on-things that don't include being harassed by you."

"By all means then," he pulled the cigar from his mouth and blew smoke in Scott's face, "you'd best be getting back to those important…things."

"I will," Scott wrinkled his nose at him, not bothering to give him another thought. Scott returned his focus to his phone pretending to be working on an email even though it was clear the chance of his getting a signal in the lounge were even less than his finding someone who was polite and cordial.

Scott pushed the screen, doing his best to be that same, boring accountant that he'd gotten accustomed to being lost in a sea of numbers and normalcy. That's what life was all about after all, Scott told himself time and time again. Being different always lead to trouble and trouble was the key to your undoing. Scott learned it at an early age when his environment had cajoled him into following their big footsteps. Scott had been pushed down his path and that path would lead to great rewards. At least that's what he'd been told time and time again. Maybe one day Scott would believe it, but for now it was all about appearances. Scott had to keep up with what it was that was expected of him. It was the right thing to do.

After a few minutes of pretending Scott was pleasantly rewarded with a signal at long last. It seemed that the storm was fading out and Scott was able to return his focus to the things he'd put off for far too long already. Scott could put his energies into what was needed for a while longer until they called to alert him that his flight was back on. Life was good. Scott could still feel the solid strength of the man beside him, the man's leg brushing up against Scott's every so often, but the man said nothing, simply finished off his beer and paid for another before standing up to leave.

"Good luck with work princess," he finally said leaning over Scott's shoulder to eye his phone curiously. The brush of his breath carried over the side of Scott's neck sending shivers racing over Scott until finally Scott felt a new rush of electricity overtake him.

"What the hell is your problem?" Scott finally snapped rising up and turning around to face him fully. It was then that Scott recognized the size difference between them. With him hovering over Scott, eyeing Scott with an amused, daunting grin daring Scott to challenge him, Scott felt complete and total intimidation upon him. Scott gulped once, then another time trying to remember what it was that he'd wanted to say when he'd gotten the notion to rise to his feet. Scott was at a loss, however, as the man leaned in closer to him, eyes expectant and ready for a confrontation.

"Well?" he questioned wiggling his brow suggestively. "What was it you had on your mind?"

"You," Scott paused feeling flustered at the word that had fallen from his lips. The man's eyes widened, surprise and approval registering over his features before Scott gulped down hard, "I mean…I just wish…that you…that you'd just stop…"

"Stop what?" he inquired with a sexy drawl making Scott realize that all the layers of deception that he'd been using to camouflage himself from the world around him were falling to pieces, tearing apart one by one and revealing the truth of the man he'd become through the years. The wicked parting of lips taunted and dared Scott to defy the sexy stranger's challenge. Inside a fire began to build in Scott's abdomen only serving to further intensify the need to reach out and touch the man before him, to take a taste of those sour lips of his, showing him just how sweet Scott could be when properly motivated. Would he be so eager to sling an insult in Scott's direction then when Scott was the one taking charge? Would he be able to deny how good Scott tasted? Could Scott really wipe that smugness off of his features to explore such a bold leap and express what Scott felt in taking him, wanting him and showing him a whole new world of lust? Scott's every instinct wanted to throw him down on top of the bar and have his way with him, proving that timid didn't always mean helpless, but Scott refrained. Scott maintained his meager persona and stepped back.

"Nothing," Scott replied lowering his eyes just enough to see that others in the bar were watching them. They were suddenly very interested in this exchange between the handsome, roguish Australian and the meager looking accountant.

"Good," he finally decided pushing his cigar back between his lips, puffing on it once again, "then let's keep it that way."

Scott said nothing, merely bristling from his companion's tone as he turned around to leave. He walked out of the bar, his head held high, his chest puffed out and arms down by his side. His stride was full of arrogance, his persona larger than life now that he'd 'put Scott back in his place' so to speak. The bar knew it. Scott knew it and as Scott pushed his smart phone back into his pocket he decided that it was time for all of that to change. Scott wasn't going to be pushed around any longer.

Raising his head up, Scott reached for his glasses knowing they would serve no purpose in the battle he was about to engage in. Scott tucked them neatly into their case before rubbing his palms together. This went against everything that Scott was taught to do, but tonight it didn't matter. Scott didn't care about the right and wrong because tonight with his flight on hold he was going to take a bold step towards reclaiming the life he'd kept repressed for so very long. Scott pushed the barstool aside, all the while ignoring the eyes upon him in the bar and marched towards it's exit.

Once outside it didn't take long for Scott to discover the Australian in the crowd. He stood out like a masterpiece in a sea of pre-school finger paintings. His tall, solid stance was an exquisite contrast to the bleak surroundings of the airport. He was beautiful, every perfect inch of him and despite the saccharine demeanor he was lacking, Scott would be sure to set him straight on things once and for all. Scott approached him not bothering to consider how ridiculous he looked in his movements. Scott was tired and agitated and ready for a fight. At this moment Scott had found a perfect target. Seeing him bend down to speak with a woman in one of the chairs by a table, Scott felt a rush of courage overtake him.

"We need to talk," Scott announced watching his leather clad upper torso stretch out across the plastic seats of the chairs set out before him. He kicked his legs up on a couple of them before the woman he'd spoken to rose to her feet clearly disinterested in being part of whatever confrontation was at hand.

"So talk," he rolled his eyes at Scott. He stretched his arm up across his face and sighed lazily, "since apparently that's what you rather enjoy doing the most."

"First of all you can't humiliate someone just because you aren't comfortable with yourself and…" Scott protested digging his heels down into the carpet beneath his feet. Scott could see he was blowing off what Scott said to him, so Scott continued to raise his voice. "You owe me an apology."

"A what?" he questioned with a roar of laughter. He was suddenly interested for the first time since Scott arrived to confront him.

"An apology," Scott folded his arms in front of his chest stubbornly, "I want it right now."

"Good for you," he laughed wildly, "because you can want it all you like, but you're not getting it."

"The hell I'm not," Scott stepped in closer to him, wanting to prove his determination and fire within his rage. "You will apologize."

"Make me," he challenged in a mocking tone. He wiggled his brow at Scott suggestively and that was all it took for Scott to let loose of the control that carried over him. Scott reached out to him seizing him by his collar and catching him off guard with a rough pull.

"What the…?" he scattered to his feet, his hazel eyes opening wider as Scott looked up at him.

"That apology…I'll be taking it now," Scott demanded placing his hands on his hips defiantly. Yes, maybe it was ridiculous to expect it, but Scott wasn't leaving until he got it.

"Good luck with that," he dusted his arm off before turning to walk away from Scott .

"I'm sorry, I didn't hear you," Scott shoved at his back, giving him just enough of a push to make him stop.

"Look kid," he snarled dropping his head down and turning around to meet Scott's enraged eyes, "back off."

"No," Scott answered defiantly, "not until you tell me you're sorry."

"I'm never sorry, so it's a moot point," he shrugged before returning to the path he'd started taking. Scott watched him slip out of the waiting area, heading into the men's room.

"We'll just see about that," Scott vowed.

Against his better judgment Scott followed him into the men's room determined to get a response out of him, but it wasn't until Scott was inside that he realized he had already awakened one. In an instant before Scott could say a word, Scott felt his rival's arms surround him, his rival's mouth hovering over the side of Scott's neck in a tight squeeze.

"You really don't know when to quit, do you?" he questioned pressing his palm out flat across Scott's chest. His teeth sank into Scott's shoulder in a primitive bite, tongue teasing out in a flick across the side of Scott's neck.

"Not when you're being rude," Scott mouthed in response, turning around to face him fully. His eyes were divided by amusement and interest when Scott pushed him back into the wall, doing his best to compensate for the height difference between them. He fell back, flinging into the wall as Scott moved forward reaching up to tangle a thick chunk of his unruly dark hair between his fingers. Scott yanked his head forward, rising up on his toes to kiss him like Scott had been dying to from the moment he had walked into the bar. It was something Scott had been holding back on, but now there was no ignoring what Scott wanted. Scott's tongue lashed at his, fingers clawing at the front of his shirt to feel the muscled abdomen he knew lay beneath the dirty burgundy colored shirt he'd been wearing. Scott felt him inhale a harsh breath, desire stirring up inside of him all over again when their mouths collided.

"You're a real spitfire tonight, aren't you?" he ran his fingers over the back of Scott's neck, touching the dip between his neck and shoulder in a rough, sensual brush.

"You wouldn't have me any other way," Scott blurted out rising up to nip at his lower lip once again. Scott felt him wince at the feel of his teeth sinking into his plump, kiss swollen lips, but Scott kept digging deeper wanting to show him a whole new meaning of intensity now that they'd surrounded themselves with madness. His arms wrapped around Scott's waist possessively, a low growl building in the back of his throat, vibrating through their kiss. Scott's hand traveled down further sliding over the front of his jeans. He groaned, a low, primitive howl of delight when Scott massaged him, taking the time to enjoy his hardening body beneath his touch.

"You owe me an apology," Scott explained firmly, his blue eyes making their way to his rival's again. Scott squeezed his companion's pants once more, feeling the deliciously intense response his rival had to the movement in his body. His breath grew ragged, his body tensing up beneath Scott's touch. Scott pushed the zipper down on his jeans, sliding the tips of his fingers in to touch his length, knowing of the treasure buried within his jeans. As anticipated he hadn't bothered with boxers tonight, but that only served as a tool for the torturous notions Scott had for him. Scott's fingers curled around his body, squeezing and tracing his tip with his thumb until finally Scott began to stroke his length. His companion's hips arched up towards Scott making Scott want so much more in the moment, but Scott held back remembering his purpose in following him.

"That apology," Scott taunted, dangling the promise of pleasure in his face, seeing it's tortuous glow upon his strained features, but Scott wouldn't budge. Scott couldn't give in until he provided Scott with what he wanted.

"You're really acting like a bitch," he conceded with a shake of his head. He closed his eyes and brought his wrist down over Scott's in a silent plea to urge Scott on further, "I hope you realize that."

"Tonight we're going to do things my way," Scott rose up on his toes to kiss the side of the man's neck, tongue swirling hot patterns over his skin, "and until you apologize you can't have anything more."

"Damn you," he groaned, his hold on Scott's wrist constricting further, "I'm…"

"Yes?" Scott questioned, gloating a little in his amusement. He was caving. For the first time since they'd encountered one another Scott had the upper hand.

"I'm…" he let out a pinched wail, his fingers digging into the underside of Scott's palm.

"What was that?" Scott raised his hand to his ear in a mocking gesture.

"I'm sorry," he finally spit out hating every single second of the apology. It wasn't in his nature to utter such words, but as Scott's fingers stroked him, sliding over his hot flesh, he found himself rewarded by the feel of Scott's fingers working over him, drawing out pleasurable sensation one after another until finally Scott released him from his grasp knowing he wasn't ready yet.

"Hey," his eyelids fluttered open, protest coming from his lips, but it was soon replaced by Scott's mouth over his lips longing to show him a whole new side of things. Tonight Scott wasn't the meek and mild accountant any longer. Tonight Scott was roaring with control-about to show him exactly what kind of man he had in his life. He hadn't seen it coming even if he'd thought he did, but now, well now was about retribution. Scott wanted more than an apology. More than anything Scott wanted him.

"You little…" he frowned feeling Scott pull away from him. He opened his mouth to say something more, but was rewarded by the feel of Scott's hands on his hips pushing his pants down beneath his knees.

"Watch it," Scott warned raising his finger up in the air to trace his companion's lips. Scott watched his playmate kiss the pad of his index finger before Scott wrinkled his nose at him, "I might take offense to your words."

"Point taken," he agreed leaning back against the wall and closing his eyes again. He had agreed to Scott's terms. Quiet wasn't necessarily what he was good at, but tonight he was willing to try. Seeing his attempt at giving Scott what he needed, Scott dropped down to his knees taking his flustered companion into his mouth. Scott's tongue flicked and teased over him hoping to provide him with the same kind of pleasure Scott had derived from their interactions. Scott wanted him to know how good this could be-how amazing their time together would prove to be for them both.

"Damn it," he cursed under his breath, fingers sliding into Scott's hair, twisting and tangling tightly. His hips thrust forward, sending him further into Scott's warm, eager mouth. The steely contours of his body constricted and writhed up towards Scott, his thigh brushing up against Scott's cheek now that Scott had his full attention. He cursed again yanking roughly on Scott's hair, refusing to let up on the grip he had on Scott. Scott winced in the back of his throat opening it up to indulge his lover's length a bit further now that his partner's hips rocked back and forth desperate for a release. Scott reached out brushing the soft edge of his fingers against his lover's thigh, savoring the hair dusted contours of his flesh until finally the first delicious explosion carried over his lover, causing him to relinquish all control to Scott completely. Scott relaxed taking in every last second of his hot release feeling the vibrations of him upon Scott's lips until he hunched over, cradling the back of Scott's head in a tender, brush of his fingers over the back of Scott's neck.

"You're insatiable," he finally murmured dropping his head to the side. Scott pulled back still feeling his own body on fire at the rush of delight he'd brought in helping his lover lose all control. Scott licked his lips thinking about his own hard body burning from the inside out. Standing up Scott leaned forward kissing the side of his neck, wanting him to know just how hot he still was in the moment. Scott scratched lightly at his abdomen, pushing forward just enough to rub in against his thigh. His lips curved upward in a coy movement, very unlike the man he usually was and he sighed, "I know. A promise is a promise."

"That's right," Scott nodded feeling him reach out to Scott's neatly pressed slacks. His fingers circled over Scott, appreciating the full attention he'd brought Scott too.

Tipping his head up, he smiled at Scott, knowing only too well Scott was ready to collect on their deal with one another. He said nothing, but merely unzipped Scott's pants, doing his best to feign an air of cool, collected demeanor, but Scott knew that he was nervous. Scott could feel the same anxiety he'd carried with him the first time Scott doubted the situation. The first time Scott touched him, Scott had been afraid-Scott had been uncertain about where things would go, but now, tonight as he stepped outside of his boundaries to give Scott what he needed, Scott knew they'd reached a turning point in their relationship.

"You sure you're up for this?" he half teased, the arrogance he'd carried with him earlier tapering off to the uncertainty he was experiencing with this change.

Scott bit down on his lip and nodded. Tonight was about taking concessions with each other. It was about new experiences and new beginnings for them. They'd played this game so many times before, but tonight Scott was the one in control. Scott was the one who was going to show him all that our union could mean for them.

"Don't be a little bitch," Scott swatted at the side of his face, mocking the tone he'd used with Scott time and time again. He seemed almost amused by it when he reached for Scott. His rough fingers carried over Scott's length, sizing Scott up for what we were about to enter into with one another. Although he'd been quite familiar with Scott's body, tonight he was going to experience it in a whole new fashion. Tonight they were going to shift gears on what they'd shared.

"Fair enough," he nodded. With firm, steady hands, he continued to stroke Scott, offering Scott up his full attention. Scott knew he was stalling, but Scott had done so in the past-far too many times then he cared to own up to. It just was all the more amusing to see he was doing it too. Then again was it genuine? Was it his way of revealing that apprehension he felt, or was he merely immersing himself in Scott's role, showing Scott a reflection of what Scott had been like in their time together?

"I want you," Scott groaned rising up on his shaky legs to ravage his lover's mouth again and again. It took everything inside of Scott to keep control with their tongues and teeth engaged in each other-giving and taking with the same intensity that they always known.

"What are you waiting for?" he finally questioned reaching out to slide his thick fingers over Scott's arm. He deposited his fingertips into Scott's hand and smirked that same sensual, crooked smirk, "This is after all your game tonight."

"That's right it is," Scott growled reaching up to tug on the back of his hair. Although Scott knew the movement wasn't enough to really generate a big response from him, he was playing up the game they'd started with one another, twisting his head to the side and awaiting Scott's next move. Scott stood up taller, rising up on his toes to claim another wild, reckless kiss from his lips. Tonight he was going to know what it was like to be at Scott's mercy for the rest of the night.

"Well?" he questioned almost impatiently, surprising Scott with the growl that rumbled over his sensual lips.

"Not here," Scott finally decided knowing only too well the plans Scott had for him went well beyond any kind of bathroom bliss they might've found with one another. The meeting in the lounge had been Scott's idea, but the more Scott thought about it, the more Scott realized that the first time Scott claimed him fully it needed to be memorable. Perhaps it was a bit of the romantic in Scott, but the more Scott pondered just how screwed up life had been for them over the last few years, the more Scott realized the importance of making tonight matter. Stroking the side of his face tenderly, Scott met his eyes again with an air of sentimentality in his tone. "I want to do this right. Tomorrow everything changes, but tonight…"

"You're in control," he half nodded unable to resist reaching out to wrap his arms around Scott. He pulled Scott into his chest breaking the terms of their arrangement, but it didn't matter. It wasn't relevant for the time being now that Scott had what he wanted. Everything Scott had ever needed was there within his reach, held close beside him with his lover's strong chest begging for them to stay that way forever. He dipped down nibbling on Scott's ear before whispering with a hint of teasing, "Where to lover?"

"I have a hotel room," Scott explained thinking about the back up plan Scott had put together in the event Scott lost his nerve. Tipping his head up ever so slightly Scott could see the question behind his eyes, the words forming behind his lips, but rather than going into the semantics of the situation with Scott he nodded.

"Lead the way," he mouthed in a smooth, even tone revealing nothing about the depths of the lust that radiated between them. It had been there for longer than either one had wanted to admit. It was deeper than any other bond and while Scott wanted to write it off as a simple game of cat and mouse, there was no denying the raw, animalistic force driving them to one another again and again.

Shifting gears Scott took in a harsh breath, one followed by another until Scott was able to regain focus and clarity. Scott turned away from him, using what strength and control he had left to readjust himself in his slacks. It hurt like hell to simply turn away, to force himself to pretend that Scott wasn't ready to lose all control with him here and now. Feeling him step forward to wrap his arms around Scott's waist, Scott groaned outwardly.

"Are you sure you don't want me to offer a little help before our retreat?" he questioned sliding his thick, oversized fingers down over to the center of Scott's pants in an attempt to provide Scott with the long overdue relief his body had been seeking out.

"I'm positive," Scott answered stiffly knowing full well that the next time Scott lost himself to pleasure it would be in a place where they had purpose and reason. The strangers in a bar scenario had worked wonders for the fantasy in the beginning, but tonight there was no way in hell that Scott would miss out on an opportunity to truly immerse himself in making love to the one man he'd found real comfort and hope in. He'd provided Scott with that for so very long in his own special way and tonight was about showing Scott's appreciation about…

"You're doing a monologue in your head again, aren't you Summers?" he questioned sliding his arms around Scott in a more secure, possessive hold. He placed his chin on Scott's shoulder, breath skimming over the side of Scott's neck when his words crashed over Scott's bristling skin. He'd dropped the Australian accent, instead opting to reveal the hint of his Canadian roots in his tone. He was attempting to switch gears, to bring them back to the reality Scott been hoping to escape from a bit longer, but Scott wouldn't have it. Pushing his arms away, Scott turned around to face him with a scowl crossing over his features.

"Logan," Scott frowned refusing to say anything further on the subject. Scott shook his head at him before nodding towards the door, "Let's get out of here."

"It's your show," he conceded reaching into his pocket and pulling out another cigar. Instead of lighting it, he simply placed it between his lips and grudgingly followed Scott out of the men's room into the airport lobby. Much to Scott's surprise there were a few people watching, some who had clearly anticipated a brawl between the two of them, but they remained still, silently watching.

"Wouldn't they be in for a shock if they had any idea what we were up to with one another?" Scott pondered with a triumphant smirk.

"We could always offer them a preview of what they're missing out on if that tempts you," Logan teased with that same gruff, playful tone that set Scott's body ablaze returning to the days of a schoolyard crush.

"Why offer up on promises we couldn't truly deliver?" Scott questioned lazily, wondering if Logan could sense what he was thinking now that the idea of kissing him again with an audience consumed Scott's every thought, his every movement. Then again the fact that he couldn't read Scott completely was a relief in itself. Unlike the relationships in the past Scott experienced, with Logan he didn't have to constantly keep himself guarded, hidden from his thoughts. They were no longer a weapon to be used against Scott now that Scott found someone he could be free to explore his subconscious with. That brought around a sense of ease and comfort. However, when Scott glanced over his shoulders to see the playful wink Logan issued him, Scott knew he was thinking it at as well. He was ready for a change of scenery too. Together they walked out of the airport into the storm ready for a night the would never forget!


	2. Chapter 2

**A Few Days Earlier**

Losing Scott had been a nightmare, but finding him beaten down and broken after what Jean had put him through was heartbreaking in itself. To spend months without Scott only to discover him living a life he was never meant for in Ohio of all places, pretending to be a straight-laced accountant had been unbearable at first. The very idea of Scott immersed in numbers and tax returns seemed to be the ultimate bore, but when Logan had first discovered his long time companion, he'd sensed a change in Scott. It wasn't simply the fact that Jean had managed to rip away his powers; to take away what in essence made him the man he was before, but rather he'd shifted gears. He's come into a new direction, one that Logan was almost envious of. It was peaceful, mundane, yet serene in it's own way. It was the same monotonous routine, which was something that puzzled Logan.

Logan had spent weeks waiting, contemplating his next move and the approach he would make in revealing himself to Scott. It had been something that Logan had pondered long and hard. He couldn't rush it, yet in staying away and not seeing Scott-in not speaking with him and holding him, it had been unbearable. It was the kind of pain that Logan had tried to avoid after all hell had broken loose in the midst of madness. It was the reason that Logan had left the school in search of something more, something deeper, but instead of finding another meaningless journey to continue on, he'd found the one person in the world that he hadn't been able to forget. Fate had truly existed in bringing back the only man in the world that Logan knew full well that he couldn't live without. It was in having lost him that Logan had realized Scott's importance and there wasn't a damn thing that could keep him from that truth any longer.

"I've been lost without you," was the first thing that Logan had wanted to say to Scott when he'd approached him at the charity fund raiser that was hosted by the company Scott was working for. Hell, Logan had even crossed his own personal code of what was acceptable and had rented a tux. It was a low point for Logan in having to fit into the ridiculous mold of what society had expected at an event such as that, but he'd been pleasantly rewarded by Scott's surprise.

"Logan," Scott had whispered once they'd met up near the back of the bar, away from the dance floor. The bewilderment in the blue eyes that Logan had always contemplated, but had never been able to observe one on one before that night was priceless, beautiful in it's own way and it took everything in Logan's power not to kiss Scott senseless right then and there, "how-how did you find me?"

"It's a long story, but one we'll get into another time," Logan had simply suggested, opting to leave out the details of what life had transformed into without Scott in all of their lives. Instead Logan had wanted to focus on his good fortune and in doing so, he'd joined Scott at the bar doing his best to make small talk.

"Is everyone else here?" Scott had asked quietly, his voice timid and worrisome in the strange surroundings of the company bash.

"No," Logan had answered honestly, "just me."

Scott didn't seem too disappointed in hearing that. Come to think of it, he'd almost seemed relieved when Logan had offered up that detail about his arrival. Scott didn't expand on his response, but rather played it cool and polite, though Logan knew they were both far from finished with one another. Their reunion would have to take place in more familiar ground far away from the party.

"There you are," a woman had intruded upon the moment between them. She walked up to Scott placing her hand on his shoulder in a possessive movement that made Logan flinch involuntary. He could sense her lust for Scott, could feel it in her approach now that she'd severed the moment between them. Seeing her blood red nails curl downward over Scott's muscled shoulder had made Logan furious, wild with jealousy over what he'd lost.

While Logan and Scott had never spoken of their time together at the school before Jean's return, there were so many things that still lingered. There were so many memories that had haunted Logan long after that day he'd felt Scott was lost to him forever. Yes, Logan had believed that Scott had taken Jean's 'death' harder than anticipated when Scott had pushed him away, but it was what followed that finally brought Logan to life again. In their grief and misery a deeper, more profound emotion had grown between them. They'd evolved from rivals, to friends, to two people with a genuine warmth and feeling for one another. Soon that explanation had seemed misplaced when Logan and Scott forced the depth of what their bond had brought into their lives.

"What do you want Logan?" Scott had questioned, full of frustrations after they'd gotten into another one of the same arguments with one another over how things had fallen apart since Jean's disappearance. Scott had always used Jean as a wall to keep them at arm's length with one another, but Logan had refused to allow it to come between them. He'd sensed the truth in Summers long before Scott had been able to own up to it. He'd tasted the sweet, alluring aroma of lust bristling between them long before Scott had been presented with that reality. Logan had seen it almost immediately between them, but Scott, well, he'd taken his time in coming around to be honest with himself. Losing Jean had prompted that, but it had still been an uphill battle against the beast within that the mighty Cyclops fought to make disappear.

"I want…" Logan had strained with himself to reveal what it was that his instincts were telling him. Walking away was always the best option given what Logan knew about pain and suffering. Still with Scott at his side, he'd felt renewed, invincible and when he'd reached out to embrace Scott again, taking that step beyond friendship into something more with a simple caress, he'd hoped that Scott wouldn't refuse him.

"What?" Scott had asked in frustration, "What do you want from me Logan?"

"You Scott," Logan had confessed in a raw, guttural tone, his mouth moving in over Scott's in a whisper of a movement. Logan's fingers had swept tentatively into the smaller man's hair, teasing it gently in a movement that felt foreign from where he'd been in his life. However, in holding Scott and owning up to the desire that had guided him towards Jean's former love, Logan knew he couldn't stop. He'd kept going revealing a truth that he'd repressed for so very long, "I've always wanted you Scott. From the first moment I saw you…"

"Logan," Scott had been flushed, embarrassed by the realization, but more so behind his ruby glasses, Logan could sense a different kind of fire burning beneath the surface. It was the first time he'd witnessed Summers stepping out his environment, reveling in the element of honesty when Logan entered into dangerous territory with that first kiss. It had been one of many that followed, each escalating into more.

It was those kisses that had caused jealousy to reveal itself to Logan with the woman standing beside Scott, ready to lay her claim in the man Logan had realized he couldn't live without. Logan had tried to play it cool, but when Scott had introduced Logan to Wendy, Logan couldn't hide his distain for the ditzy, bubbling brunette at Scott's side. She was a representation of a life that had been far from the one that he and Scott had started with one another back at the school. Now deceptions and distance had placed a deeper wedge between them.

"Wendy," Scott cleared his throat uneasily, his fingers sliding to the back of her spine politely, "if you could just give my friend and I a moment…"

"My father's preparing to put together 'the speech'," she wrinkled her nose and groaned, but Logan could sense that she was anything, but disappointed about whatever it was that was ahead for her and Scott. Logan sensed that she wanted something more from Scott, something Scott hadn't been ready to offer himself. Logan was almost certain that they'd been lovers with Wendy's hold on Scott. If they hadn't been, it was clear Wendy had wanted to be. Logan was almost sure of that, but in facing that reality it felt like Jean all over again.

"I won't be long," Scott promised leaning over to place a small kiss on her cheek. The movement in itself caused Logan to want to tear the woman on Scott's arm to pieces. Still he said nothing.

"Alright," Wendy agreed with another rumble of laughter before stepping aside. "It's nice to meet you…"

"Logan," Logan had finished for her, reaching out to take her hand in his. He raised it to his lips, his eyes traveling beyond where Wendy stood to Scott. Although Wendy hadn't caught the path Logan's eyes had traveled, Scott had. It caused Scott to tug at his tie nervously.

"I won't be long," Scott repeated again, clearing his throat in an obvious attempt to regain his composure. Scott waved at Wendy with the sappy sweet grin of a boy scout as Logan couldn't help, but mock him.

"Wendy," Logan clucked his teeth, eyeing Scott's companion with an intense envy overtaking him, "she seems a bit familiar. Almost like…"

"Don't say it," Scott frowned turning around to face Logan fully.

"I thought you were dead Summers. We all did," Logan frowned refusing to acknowledge that part of him that had wanted to immerse himself in kissing Scott completely. It was then that he'd found himself overtaken with thoughts of claiming Scott all over again-of taking Scott into a backroom and reminding him of their passion until Scott collapsed overtaken by exhaustion. However, Logan refrained attempting a more civilized approach.

"I may as well be," Scott dropped his head shamefully, refusing to meet his former lover's eyes.

"Why would you say that?" Logan frowned sensing the despair in Scott's tone.

"Why do you think?" Scott asked harshly. He tipped his head up to meet Logan's concerned stare. It was then that reality had hit Logan. Never before had Logan gazed into those beautiful blue eyes he'd imagined for so very long. Never in their time together had Logan been able to cross that line into seeing their depths. The raw emotions running through Scott had been too much to bear as Logan realized he'd made a mistake. Scott had moved forward in a normal life-one devoid of the pain and anguish that had been present back at the school. He was 'normal' now and no one could take that from him…until Logan had arrived and selfishly wanted to pull Scott back into it all.

"I'm no use to anyone any longer," Scott turned away from Logan, his voice pained and broken. "I can't help anyone…"

"You don't believe that," Logan asserted taking a small step towards Scott. Even with Scott's back turned to him, Logan could still sense a great many conflicting emotions present in Scott. He was apprehensive, nervous, yet aroused in the ways he'd always been in the past when they were alone together.

"I can't be who I was before this happened," Scott replied dejectedly, "I can't go back to being who I was before I lost myself."

"I wasn't asking you to go back," Logan reached out to place his hand over Scott's arm gently, "I don't want to head back down that path again when all I want for us is to go forward."

"Forward?" Scott repeated with a bristling laugh. He turned around to face Logan fully, "How in the hell can we make that happen when you know as well as I do that like this I'm of no use to you? I can't make anything better and…"

"I'm not looking for you to make anything better. I came here tonight because I wanted you-because life without you wasn't one I was enjoying," Logan put it all out on the line, sounding like a blubbering fool in spite of his resolve to refrain from the same sappy sentimentalities that he'd mocked Scott for having in the past. Still with jealousy and resentment carrying over him, Logan dug the knife in deeper, "I know you don't love her. She might be oblivious to that, but I'm not. Just like I wasn't when you were with Jean…"

"Don't say it," Scott mouthed in a muted tone, "we can't go back to that when…"

"When what?" Logan stepped forward, not giving a damn about the eyes upon them. "When you just walked out of my life without so much as a goodbye because she was calling to you? Do you have any idea what I went through when you disappeared?"

"I'm sure I was replaceable," Scott stiffened, placing a distance between them with his words.

"If that's what you really think, then you can just crawl back under the rock Jean dragged you down into," Logan scoffed shaking his head at Scott while taking a step back.

"Logan," Scott curled his lip in protest.

"Save it!" Logan raised his hand in the air and scowled, "This was a mistake. A huge one!"

"Logan," Scott called out to him, but Logan refused to turn back. The monkey suit, the romantic, slobbering sentimentalities that Logan had carried with him-they were enough to make Logan question his own sanity. Sleeping with Scott in the past clearly had turned him into a sap and it was something Logan was going to change-starting now.

Slamming the door to the hotel room shut, Logan ripped the necktie from his throat. It had felt restrictive, suffocating even all the while he'd been wearing it and for what? What could he possibly have to gain in going to that damned party like a school girl hoping that the boy of her dreams would be paying her attention? It was pathetic, unrealistic and just plain silly. If anyone else could see him now, they would've been disappointed. They would've laughed and rolled their eyes to see the great Wolverine parading around the town attempting to strike the fancy of the new, reformed Scott Summers. So what if Logan enjoyed taking him to bed? So what if Logan had become addicted to his touch? It didn't matter because it was purely animalistic insanity. From the taste of Scott's skin to the way it felt to be inside the straight laced, good guy back at the school it should've been a purely physical rush, but somewhere in the process Logan developed the kind of feelings he'd fought like hell to avoid and…

"Damn it all," Logan cursed under his breath, kicking off the ridiculous shoes he'd picked up for the evening out. They were painful, a sign of a world that he wasn't eager to be a part of any longer. The 'normal' people had their traditions, but he was tired of playing the game. He didn't need that any longer as he had his anger-his memories and…

"Scott," a voice blurted out in the back of his throat. While Logan had been having his own pity party, he wasn't paying attention to his senses. It was very unlike him, but now that he could sense his former lover's presence in the room, he couldn't help, but stand taller offering up his full attention to Scott's arrival.

"You don't really give a man time to explain himself, do you Logan?" Scott shook his head with heavy disapproval. Closing the hotel room door behind him that Logan hadn't bothered to lock, Scott took a bold step towards Logan, his soulful blue eyes revealing their amusement along with the flicker of the long, dark lashes Logan hadn't ever experienced before tonight.

"I figured Wendy might need you to share a dance, hold her purse or even share a nightcap," Logan blurted out in a mocking tone. It was too harsh, too agitated for Scott not to pick up on the jealousy.

"Wendy's safe," Scott conceded lowering his head shamefully, "and it's not what you think."

"Just like Jean wasn't either, right?" Logan rolled his eyes at Scott's proclamation.

"Logan, that's not the same," Scott couldn't help but frown in response, "If you had any idea what was really going on, then you'd see that…"

"You've moved on. You're the true all American boy scout now. I get it Scott. Good for you," Logan turned his back to Scott, refusing to meet his lover's eyes again with the jilted heart Logan had been toting around with him.

"Logan, you didn't give me a chance to explain myself. I wasn't expecting to see you or anyone else ever again after things changed. I wasn't me anymore and this life is what I had to work with. Tonight what you saw is…" Scott opened his mouth in protest, attempting to defend his actions.

"Hey that's great. You've moved on. I hope you enjoy it," Logan interrupted throwing his hands up in the air, "Guess you've got all you were every hoping for in your life with the white picket fence and…"

"That's not fair," Scott frowned up at him. "You have no idea what I've been through."

"Only because you couldn't pick up a phone and tell me you were still alive," Logan lashed out at him, unable to repress the raw, animalistic rage that he'd kept deep inside after Scott's 'death'.

"What was I supposed to say to everyone? That I was still around, but I wasn't the same?" Scott brought his hand up to his face, "Do you have any idea how much this has changed things for me?"

"It looks like it's panning out rather well given that Wendy is all over you more than that overpriced monkey suit, which looks ridiculous by the way," Logan grumbled under his breath. Walking across the room he tried to place a distance between him and Scott in the hope of gaining clarity and insight on his thoughts.

"I happen to like it," Scott mouthed stubbornly. He reached out to adjust the lapel on his suit jacket with a huff, "It's a great cut and feel and…never mind…"

"Why are you here Scott?" Logan cut straight to the point.

"Don't you know why?" Scott replied with a wounded expression overtaking his soft, handsome features.

"I'm not a mind reader," Logan rolled his eyes at Scott in an attempt to be distant, "so why don't you get back to the point?"

"Fine," Scott's face stubbornly curled up in a tight scowl, "I'm here because you were out of line before. You shouldn't have ran out on me like you did. You should've given me a chance to…"

"To what?" Logan challenged folding his strong, solid arms over his broad muscular chest, "To beg me to pretend that there was never any kind of past worth remembering between us?"

"Is that what you think I was trying to say to you?" Scott's eyes widened with surprise. "And here you used to say I was the one who was completely clueless Logan. You'd think with your instincts you'd see that I was…"

"What Scott?" Logan challenged seeing Scott take a tentative move towards him.

"I didn't want you to see me like this. I didn't want you to know that I was…broken," Scott's hand rose up to his left cheek once again. There was another pained expression behind the deep, blue eyes Logan was still adjusting to. Scott started to turn away. Shame carried over Scott, immersing him in the scent of despair when Logan reached out to him.

"You're not broken, you're beautiful Summers," Logan mouthed taking a step forward and cupping Scott's face in his hands. "I know that this couldn't have been easy for you, but…"

"But what?" Scott questioned, revealing the tears that were glistening in his eyes. "I spent years in self-loathing wishing I could control it…at other times wishing that it was gone. Hell, maybe I brought this on myself with all my foolish thoughts, but…"

"This wasn't your fault," Logan softened his tone, refusing to allow Scott to disappear behind the walls he'd built up to surround himself with in their time apart.

"The hell it isn't," Scott pulled away, unable to accept Logan's comforting, "I brought this on myself. I fell into the trap. How can you look at me in seeing all that I've lost? All that we lost because I was foolish and didn't realize that I was being manipulated into leaving…"

"None of us realized what was happening," Logan sighed thinking about the horrible outcome with Jean's reemergence as Phoenix. "We were all blind to the truth…"

"I never should've left that morning," Scott's face dropped with sadness, "We never should've parted ways on such bad terms. You and I had so much to say to one another and when I kept the truth about the nightmares from you…"

"I knew you'd come to me when the time was right," Logan softened his tone, knowing that even now Summers brought out something in him that he hadn't ever felt in his life. Yes, maybe there were things that were still hazy, but Summers was the first person who made him want to keep from returning to search for his past. With Summers things were peaceful, almost serene in a world of chaos and…

"She played me Logan. She pushed herself into my mind distorting my thoughts and…" Scott choked up on his emotions. Turning away from Logan, Scott wrapped his arms around his own lean muscular form tightly, "I'm broken and this time there's no fixing me."

"I don't want to fix you," Logan stepped forward, unable to refrain from sliding his arms around Scott's streamlined waist. It was a bold, brazen movement, but despite his anger, Logan couldn't bear the thought of Scott leaving his life again. Squeezing his muscular arms tightly around Scott's torso, Logan leaned forward and pressed a kiss upon the top of Scott's head, "I just wanted to be with you."

"I'm not the man I was before," Scott confessed in a shivering exhale, his blue eyes fluttering to a close. He sank back into Logan's chest, welcoming the embrace between them after so much time spent away from one another. Silently, Scott brought his hand in over Logan's in a soft press. Tracing the tips of Logan's fingers, Scott let out a long sigh he'd been holding for longer than he'd cared to admit.

"Neither am I," Logan confessed tightening his grip around Scott's Armani covered form. It was a more upscale shift from the uptight attire that Scott had been fond of back at the school, but at the same time it was sophisticated and sexy in all the right ways even if Logan had mocked him. Just the scent of the exotic mixture of Scott's cologne and the essence of him was too much, too hard to resist when Logan nuzzled his nose against the side of Scott's neck. The gesture was far more intimate then Logan had intended, but in hearing the breath escape in a hot rush of wind from Scott's ever so kissable lips, Logan realized Scott still felt it too.

Remembering the past Logan bit down on Scott's earlobe causing a low rumble of a whimper to rise in the back of Scott's throat. It was all the encouragement that Logan needed to slide his hand up over the center of Scott's chest. Logan could feel the smaller man beside him, heart pounding furiously in his chest and in that moment Logan realized he'd never wanted Scott more. Scott was igniting his senses with lust, sending spikes of desire coursing through Logan's veins simply with his presence. It was too strong, too powerful for them to have denied it in the past, yet in experiencing the rush of desire all over again, Logan feared it wouldn't be enough. Holding Scott like this wouldn't satisfy him. It wouldn't satiate his hunger until Summers was his completely.

Logan pushed his thumb in underneath Scott's tie, to fumble with one of the buttons on Scott's tuxedo shirt. It stubbornly refused to cooperate with Logan's fingers denying him the contact he'd wanted with Scott's skin. Frowning Logan took in a breath and pulled his hand away from Scott's chest. He could sense Scott tensing up at the absence of contact between them, but it didn't last long. Allowing the claws to reveal themselves for the first time in a while, Logan pressed the tip of one over the front of Scott's chest. Logan hesitated momentarily sensing Scott's heart rate speeding up again. Saying nothing Logan shifted his wrist with a quick flick, digging the tip of his claw over the tuxedo shirt in a lightening quick movement. Logan could see in the mirror across the room that with little effort he'd been able to fix the problem he was having with Scott's shirt. It shredded into tattered pieces almost immediately upon contact.

"I never slept with Wendy," Scott sighed keeping his eyes closed tightly. His chest rose and fell with the weight of his emotions, not bothering to hide his reaction to Logan's proximity. Biting down on his lip, Scott fought to contain his natural response to Logan's fingers running across the smoothness of his bare chest. "I couldn't."

"Why?" Logan growled bringing one hand up over the back of Scott's head. Logan's fingers twisted and coiled through the thick, brunette locks, twining their softness in his grip just enough to tug Scott's head back further. The movement exposed Scott's neck to Logan more completely, leaving him room to mark Scott all over again.

"Because I could never fall in love with anyone else," Scott half breathed, half whimpered, his lower lip quivering in realization, "especially not when my heart's always been with you."

"Jean would've argued that point," Logan jabbed thinking about the source of tension between them long before their worlds crashed in opposite directions.

"I never felt for her what I feel for you," Scott's eyelids snapped open. His blue eyes gazed into the mirror with such an intensity that Logan had anticipated what might've happened to him had Scott still been with his powers. Still with one look Logan knew Scott could burn him alive from within guided by his passion. The control was steadily slipping and with gritted teeth behind his words, Scott pressed back further into Logan's chest, "but you already knew that."

"I did," Logan nodded leaning forward to taking in the crisp, clean scent of Scott's aftershave. It was so prim and proper much like the man that Logan had seduced long ago. It revealed a layer that most of the world hadn't been able to penetrate with Summers, but burning beneath the surface…well beyond the exterior lay the heart of a man as primitive as Logan himself-desperate and longing for the same need for release and companionship.

Allowing his teeth to graze Scott's earlobe, Logan bit down in a harsh tug, returning to the same intensity that he and Scott had shared in the past. The movement caused Scott to whimper slightly, his body tensing up for a moment, but it soon passed when Logan's large hand centered in over the front of Scott's slacks. A harsh whisper of a curse carried over Scott's lips when Logan caressed him, holding and stroking his index finger over Scott's hardening length.

"Damn it," Scott hissed closing his eyes again, this time straining to keep control of his focus when Logan's teeth pressed into the smooth, sinewy texture of warm Scott's shoulder.

With arms enveloping Scott, Logan tore the shirt from Scott's body, not bothering with slow and subtle in his seduction. He wanted Summers and nothing was going to change that. The only remedy for the affliction Logan had carried around with him for so very long was to succumb to it-to delve into his lust head on and return to poetic words and whatever nonsensical phrases Summers was carrying around with him later. Squeezing his arms around Scott tighter then before, Logan took the lead, guiding Summers over towards the bed.

"Logan," Scott hissed his name in half protest, half longing. Scott staggered in his movements uncertain about the level of compliance he was offering up to Logan, but ultimately lust overtook logic.

Standing up taller, Scott put up a futile resistance, puffing his chest out and sliding his arms down at his sides. Logan could've sworn there was another curse word coming from Scott's mouth, but it was soon replaced with Scott's arms surrounding Logan. Their mouths met in a fury, tongues tangling with frantic hunger. Scott's nails scratched over Logan's shoulders, tearing at the suit jacket Logan was still wearing. It fell to the floor in a much more redeeming fashion than Scott's shirt had ended up in. Still it wasn't enough…it couldn't be when Logan realized Scott was still half dressed before him. The lines of Scott's chest were smooth and muscular, leading to a streamlined ripple of his abdomen. His slacks hung prudishly high over his hips reminding Logan of Scott's repressed nature. He laughed inwardly before reaching out to tug on the top of Scott's trousers.

"Let's get you out of these," Logan suggested in a growl, his hands returning to the belt that kept Scott from Logan's greedy, ravenous eyes. Logan leaned forward kissing Scott's shoulder, teeth and tongue imprinting Scott's body with the same message that had been there time and time again in the past.

"You're mine," Logan's actions were saying beyond mere words.

"I know," Scott's body responded when Scott's fingers tangled up into Logan's hair commanding his mouth for another erotic kiss.

Their lips collided, tongues dueling in a frenzy, wild and brash, untamed and uninhibited when Logan pushed Scott down onto the bed. If Logan hadn't been certain he'd enjoyed Scott before, then tonight had only proven that wanting him was only a small part of the fire. It was temptation in itself that had prompted Logan to make a bold move in approaching Scott at the party, but it was lust that had him possessed with a need to have Scott again and again.

"Wait," Scott pulled back from the kiss, severing the ties between them. Worry flashed behind the blue eyes that Logan was still attempting to adjust to. They were remarkable, much like the skies back in Canada on a clear winter day. They were angelic and soulful, yet there was something Logan hadn't read before-doubt.

"What is it?" Logan frowned, a groan carrying over him when Scott wiggled beneath him on the blankets.

"It's just…" Scott bit down on his lip nervously, "I'm not…"

"Not what?" Logan questioned reaching out to trace his thumb over the bottom of Scott's kiss swelled lower lip.

"The same," Scott met his eyes in warning. "I'm weaker and…"

"I'll be gentle," Logan promised dipping down to kiss Scott tentatively.

"No you won't," Scott's words buzzed against Logan's mouth, knowing only too well of the insatiable desire that Logan carried with him. It was an intensity that was unmatched by any other when they were together. Scott's perfectly manicured nails scratched lightly at Logan's scalp, urging Logan to meet his gaze again. Scott lowered his voice, a timid hint of his concerns and desires laced into one, "and I wouldn't want you to be either. It's not who you are."

"I won't lose control," Logan nuzzled his nose against the side of Scott's neck. "If that's what you're afraid of…"

"I'm not afraid," Scott sighed heavily, his arms enveloping Logan urgently, "just different…"

"We can work with different," Logan pulled back just enough to see the apprehension carrying over Scott. Unable to resist the urge, Logan reached for Scott's nipple between his thumb and index finger. He offered up a playful pinch watching Scott's lower lip quiver with delight, "Besides, things haven't changed all that much."

"Maybe not," Scott conceded writhing on the blankets beneath Logan. It was in the slow, subtle movement that Logan was suddenly returning his awareness to the most primitive part of Cyclops that Logan had known very well. It was the key to Scott's true nature, revealing the beast that had been buried under layers of repressed mannerisms for years. Smiling inwardly, Logan stretched his arm out, retracting his claws again only to see Scott's blue eyes widen nervously.

"No more distances between us," Logan mouthed splitting the leather of the belt at Scott's waist. He sliced through the material, sending the belt buckle across the bed before leaning forward to take Scott's nipple into his mouth. His teeth grazed over Scott's chest, causing Scott to cry out, his hips rising up off of the mattress into Logan's abdomen.

"God," Scott hissed in an agonized groan. His hips raised higher, allowing Logan to slice the slacks from his body, taking his boxers with the movement. Seconds later Scott was naked and vulnerable anticipating Logan's next move.

A damp press of a kiss centered in over Scott's abdomen. Butterflies began to dance within Scott's stomach, bringing him to an uncomfortable tension, tight and longing for the loss of self control.

"You've been working out," Logan attempted to tease, seeing the way Scott stiffened beneath him. Logan flicked his tongue across the modest ripple of abdomen before him, claws retracting in order for his fingers to slide over Scott's bare thigh.

"Don't start mocking me," Scott groaned outwardly, catching the playfulness in Logan's voice.

"I wasn't," Logan promised, his tongue tracing over Scott's naval before his hand cupped and held Scott's growing manhood.

"Jesus," Scott's pinched hiss fell from his lips, in a soft struggle with logic and passion.

"You're feeling rather religious tonight, aren't you?" Logan teased again, knowing only too well he was going to enjoy seeing Scott lose all control again. "Then again it was always out of this world when we stopped fighting long enough to simply indulge in one another."

"It's been too long," Scott breathed hungrily, his mouth opening in a labored breath.

"It has," Logan ran his fingers over Scott's length, sliding up and down, circling tighter in an attempt to build a friction with the movement. Scott complied with Logan's touch, hips rising up to create a warm contrast to Logan's hold on him.

"Too long," Scott managed to get out in a sharp hiss, his fingers stretching out onto the blankets beyond where he was pinned down beneath Logan.

"Indeed," Logan agreed kissing Scott's abdomen once more before pressing a kiss over Scott's thigh. He felt Scott shiver with anticipation, but it paled in comparison to the whimper that rocked over Scott's form when Logan took Scott into his mouth, drawing the solid heat of arousal from within. He lashed at Scott's length, tasting the sweet, tortured rush of repressed desire surging through Scott's body. With each flick of his tongue, every teasing taste he took upon Scott, Logan felt Scott's hips buck upward struggling to control his eagerness. It was all so desperate, so reckless and when Logan pushed the limits further, wrapping his hands on Scott's hips to slow Scott down, Logan knew it wouldn't last long if he continued at such a reckless pace.

"Patience," Logan murmured pulling back to see Scott's tortured expression. There was sweat on his brow, his teeth were gritted, fingers twisting the comforter tighter than ever and suddenly Logan knew he himself wouldn't be able to hold out much longer with such an erotic visual before him. He could lavish Summers with his attention for hours in the past, but tonight he wanted something more-something more profound for them. Rising up on his knees Logan pushed himself off of the bed, discarding the slacks he'd grown to despise. They'd been too restrictive, too binding and with Scott writhing and whimpering on the bed before him, he knew they'd only be a hindrance to his plans for the night.

"That's asking a lot," Scott spat out, his eyes snapping to Logan once again. His face was flushed with lust, eyes twisted with longing at the sight of Logan's fully aroused body, his lips parted with desire and aching for a release.

"You wouldn't expect anything less out of me," Logan returned to the bed again, reaching for Scott's leg. Logan pulled it up from the blanket, twisting it high around his hip, causing Scott to rise up off of the bed in a primitive thrust. Scott's other leg pushed himself upward towards Logan causing their bodies to collide again. Logan felt Scott's hardened length bounce involuntary against his abdomen and Logan smirked.

"Very nice," Logan caressed him again, watching Scott grind and writhe up towards him. Sliding his hand over Scott's cheek, Logan moved his fingers to Scott's lower lip, watching as Scott's tongue flicked over the tip of Logan's index finger drawing it into his mouth. Logan smirked feeling the warmth of Summers eager mouth surround him all over again after a lengthy absence, "it seems some things haven't changed after all."

Scott merely whimpered, a small grunt of acknowledgement when Logan's hand circled around Scott's body, squeezing and cupping the perfectly toned bottom that Logan had admired for a very long time. How good it felt to be buried inside of Scott. It was one of the few things Logan found himself looking very forward to in life once they'd connected before. Now it was the only thing that Logan could focus on with temptation before him. Scott dug the bottom of his foot into Logan's spine, pushing into Logan's back in silent urging.

"I want you," Logan revealed dipping down to kiss Scott again tenderly. It was a change from what they'd been accustomed to with one another, but it had been too long.

"I want you too," Scott breathed, spelling out his eagerness to return to Logan-to be his again.

Taking in a breath Logan pushed his finger over the curve of Scott's perfectly shaped bottom, feeling Scott tense up in anticipation. Their eyes connected and Logan pulled back just enough to see Scott's face twist with concentration. It was all that Logan needed to push further, driving his slick index finger past Scott's comfort zone into a place where Logan knew only too well how to bend Scott to his bidding. Scott cried out, tensing up around Logan. His body tightened and twisted in protest, refusing the reckless invasion Logan had pressed upon him. In the past Scott had reveled in bliss over such a untamed approach, but today was different. He seemed distanced, caught up in something different altogether when Logan pushed in further causing Scott to whimper all over again.

"Fuck," Scott cried out behind gritted teeth. He turned his head to the side attempting to ignore the rush of heat that carried over him with Logan's movement from within.

"It'll feel like old times soon," Logan promised sliding up to kiss the side of Scott's neck, hoping to distract Scott long enough for Logan to work himself up to stirring up that hot spot buried deep inside of Scott.

"I know," Scott nodded burying the side of his face in the blankets. He kept his eyes closed tightly, his breath uneven and restricted with Logan pressing in over him.

"Hey," Logan whispered bringing one hand up over the side of Scott's face, coaxing Scott to meet his eyes again. Again, it was a subtle difference, but in seeing the blue depths before him carried away by nervousness and passion, Logan felt the encouragement to continue his movements within Scott. He dipped down kissing Scott tenderly, drinking up the small sounds of discomfort when another exploratory finger thrust into Scott. Logan stilled himself seeing the sweat on Scott's brow before Logan slid in deeper, feeling Scott's body welcome him back after the involuntary absence between them.

"I want this Logan," Scott blurted out raggedly, his blue eyes fixated on Logan's in an attempt to prove himself, to not back down from what they'd entered into with one another. Scott's thighs squeezed around Logan's body tighter, pulling Logan in closer for another rush of eagerness.

"I know you do," Logan whispered dipping down to kiss Scott again, this time with a bit more conviction behind his movements. He continued to open Scott up, dipping and teasing Scott until the tension faded away, returning to the beginnings of bliss between them. With one hand firmly wrapped around Scott's straining sex, Logan thought of his own needs-of his own desires to be with Scott. He'd been cautious and tentative in response to Scott's hesitation, but now Logan knew he wouldn't be able to pretend it was enough. His own length was aching, hard and ready for a release between them. Pulling back ever so slightly, Logan let out a small growl, reaching down to draw Scott up off of the bed possessively.

"Do it," Scott instructed as if he'd read Logan's thoughts. Scott's hips curved upward ever so slightly, inviting Logan within. As Logan felt his walls of control crashing down around him, he didn't bother to refuse. Pushing forward Logan positioned himself, taking in a breath before thrusting into Scott's waiting body. The movement caused Scott to buck beneath him, head twisting back on the pillows. Scott's eyes were pinched shut, his mouth gaping and a shallow pant overtaking him as they were together as one.

"Look at me," Logan commanded driving in deeper then before, "Scott."

"Logan I'm…." Scott found the strength to open his eyes again, to see the intensity of Logan over him.

"You're beautiful Summers," Logan mouthed affectionately dipping down to kiss Scott's lips again. Logan's kisses tapered off over Scott's forehead, to his sculpted cheekbones, pressing over his eyelids until finally Logan kissed Scott's mouth again lovingly.

"I love you," Scott whispered in a small breath, his words barely audible when his arms wrapped around Logan desperately, "I have for so long."

"I love you too," Logan confessed feeling the words fall freely from his heart despite his rough exterior. It wasn't what he'd intended to say, but now with Scott holding onto him, accepting him completely, Logan knew there wasn't any other word for it. Love was the only logical explanation.

Kissing Scott again, Logan began to move within, creating a rhythm between them. It started off with a slow burn, building with each passing second, tender as Logan had promised Scott earlier. Logan had wanted to rush, wanted to give into the beast, but seeing the vulnerability behind Scott's blue eyes, Logan refused to chance it. With every caress, every stroke upon Scott's skin, every thrust into Scott's body, Logan took great liberties to build the intensity, arousing Scott's senses until finally Scott's fingers sank into Logan's shoulder desperately.

"Please," Scott begged, bucking up against Logan in a wild, wanton writhe, "just…"

"I know," Logan gritted his teeth and drove forward, increasing the pressure and volume of his thrusts, burying himself in Scott again and again until finally Scott began to twitch and convulse on the bed beneath Logan, his body carried over by a hot, shattering release. Logan felt the warmth over his abdomen, indicating Scott's climax, but it wasn't enough. It couldn't be enough until Logan himself had lost all control. Pushing harder then before, increasing the pace and moving faster, deeper, Logan groaned forgetting himself for a moment when his climax approached. He released Scott's face, hands stretching out, fanning over the blankets in unrestrained longing, knowing that bliss would soon follow, but it wasn't until a final thrust sent Logan over the edge spilling himself into Scott that he realized how far he'd gone.

"Logan," Scott called out breathlessly attempting to pull Logan from the moment, but it was no use. Bliss crashed down over Logan, taking him to new heights, finally home again with the man he loved. It was everything he'd longed for, everything he'd dreamt about again and again, but when Scott let out a pinched howl Logan realized something was wrong.

"Scott," Logan's eyes widened in horror when he noticed blood on the blanket beneath him. He pulled back seeing Scott's hand impaled on the mattress with Logan's claw buried in the center of it, pinning him down on the bed. Logan immediately tore himself away from Scott, doing his best to retract his claw now that Scott was bleeding before him, "shit."

"It's okay," Scott attempted to make light of the situation when Logan shuffled off of the bed onto the floor. Scott sat up straighter, seeking out something to help with the bleeding.

"No, it's not," Logan frowned attempting to regain his composure. He pulled himself up off of the floor and approached Scott tentatively. "Let me take a look at it."

"It's fine," Scott replied bouncing off of the bed, opting to head to the bathroom in a rush of pained nervousness.

"No, it can't be," Logan mouthed to himself realizing that in his frenzy, he hadn't considered Scott's being a victim of his release. In the past they'd been careful with the claws, certain to avoid them getting in the way as Scott's reflexes were always dead on in control at the top of his game, yet Scott wasn't the same. He'd warned Logan of that, but Logan had foolishly discarded the notion in the name of lust. He'd found freedom in his passion and it had sliced through Scott's palm creating agony. Guilt licked at Logan's body, knowing only too well what lack of caution could do for anyone he was with. Hurting Scott hadn't been a part of the plan for the night, but now that he had, Logan felt like hell.

"Scott, look I'm sorry," Logan staggered over to the bathroom, hoping to do what he could to help Scott out in the situation. He approached the door, preparing to say something more when Logan was suddenly aware of the stale odor accompanying the blood that sprayed across the mirror.

"Logan, I think that I need…" Scott staggered spinning around to see Logan standing before him. Scott had a red stained towel wrapped tightly around his hand, keeping it clenched tighter with each shaky movement he made forward. Scott's lips flapped open like a fish out of water, his movements jerky and uneasy when a gasp carried over him, "…hospital."

"Scott!" Logan called out when Scott fell to the ground collapsing in a rush of agony. Fearing the worst Logan bent down realizing Scott had passed out. Without hesitation Logan scooped Scott into his arms, holding him tight against his chest and doing what he could to help Scott before it was too late!


	3. Chapter 3

Logan hated hospitals. He always had for as long as he could remember. They were cold and impersonal and filled with people who wanted to get into your head in ways that weren't welcome. It was in the generic, distant walls of the corridor that Logan couldn't help, but condemn himself again and again for bring him and Scott to this place to begin with. Logan's thoughts returned to their time together at the hotel, to their making love and then…

The blood. Scott's blood. It haunted him, plagued his mind and served as a reminder of how dangerous Logan truly was. For far too long Logan had ignored what he was. Hell, with Scott he'd thought that he'd come to terms with it, but now he knew that there was no escaping it. He'd been trained to be a monster, created for destruction-the ultimate weapon and yet within his hands he had carried the tool to Scott's undoing. It could've been bad, but when Scott's blood still stained the front of the shirt Logan had haphazardly tossed on, Logan was starting to think it couldn't be much worse.

Tipping his head up, Logan spotted the doctor that had agreed to work on Scott upon their arrival walking out and pulling Logan from his loathing. Immediately he rushed over to her, trying to decipher what was happening, but it was hard to read her. She appeared to be stoic and unyielding in her approach much like most of the doctors Logan had encountered in the past. For the most part they lacked emotions or any kind of human feeling, which Logan could relate to, but right now with worry overtaking his senses he needed something more. He needed to know that Summers was alright.

"How is he?" Logan questioned in a desperate breath, his eyes focusing on the petite woman before him. "Is he…?"

"He lost a lot of blood," the doctor explained in a professional, business as usual tone, "but fortunately we were able to put a stop to it."

"Thank God," Logan let out a breath he hadn't been aware he'd been holding, "so then he's going to be alright?"

"A few centimeters higher and it would've been a much different outcome given that the blade he encountered was rather extensive with the damages," she continued in a clinical tone. "He's very lucky you were there to help him when you were."

"Lucky," Logan repeated thinking about just how far from the truth that word was for him. Yes, he and Scott had started things off right in reconnecting, but in making love to Scott in such a careless fashion Logan had lost control. He'd done the one thing he'd sworn he wouldn't and Scott was paying the price for it. Scott could've died if Logan had done things slightly different.

"He's sedated," the doctor explained clearly oblivious to Logan's thoughts, "but he's going to be just fine. We were able to stabilize him with the blood loss and stitch him up. The extent of the nerve damage isn't certain yet, but…"

"Nerve damage?" Logan snapped out of his daze to look at the doctor incredulously. "What nerve damage?"

"At this point we don't know what we'll be dealing with, but given the severity of the injury to his hand it may take him a while to regain full control of it. Perhaps with therapy and…" the doctor's words were lost on Logan now that guilt plagued him. Somehow in loving Scott completely, Logan had hurt him again. It was an endless cycle for them, but now it almost cost Scott his life.

"If you'd like to wait for a while, I'm sure we can get you in to see him soon," the doctor suggested as Logan shrugged.

"I'll be back," Logan grumbled under his breath, doing his best to shuffle out of the hospital before the walls closed in on him completely. It was bad enough that Logan had sought Scott out selfishly to take him away from the life Scott had made for himself after his powers had faded, but to make matters worse Logan had almost killed Scott.

"You just got him back into your life and this is what you do," Logan heard the nagging voice of conscience he'd kept repressed for so many years tugging at his thoughts. There was no denying how miserable Logan had been without Scott, yet in his eagerness, Logan had damn near taken Scott's life from him for real. The very thought brought a shudder over Logan as he made his way out the hospital front doors heading directly to the bar he'd seen on the way in. It wasn't necessarily where he wanted to be, but it was what he deserved.

Logan needed to drink and think about things. He needed to weigh out his options and decide what was best for him-for Scott. He couldn't rely on his primitive instincts alone considering that he'd lost control of them every time he was with Summers. There was no logic or reason just longing and desire. Scott surrounded him in ways that Logan was entirely unprepared for. It was the last thing Logan had anticipated having in the lonely path he'd set out for himself, but it was something that Logan knew he could never forget. Signaling the bartender to bring him a drink, Logan closed his eyes and thought back to the days before Phoenix had torn Scott away from Logan to begin with.

"_Scott wake up," Logan had nudged Scott, poking at Scott's bare chest once the whimpers had risen in Scott's slumber to a torturous howl. Scott was trapped inside a nightmare, haunted by something he hadn't spoken of, but Logan could feel the disruption it had upon their lives. "Scott!" _

"_No!" Scott sprang up into a seated position on the center of Logan's bed, his protective glasses nearly falling off his face with the lightening quick movement. His fists were balled up, his perspiration soaked body tight with tension and fear. It was the most intense scent in the air when Logan reached out to touch Scott's shoulder in the hopes of pulling him out from the waking nightmare._

"_Scott it's me. It's Logan," Logan had explained firmly, doing his best to keep his voice calm and controlled when Scott flinched beside him. The movement caused Scott to recoil, sending the glasses across the floor in a thunderous fashion. Immediately Scott wailed loudly, closing his eyes tightly and turning away from Logan. Balling up in a fetal position beside Logan, Scott returned to sobs haunted by his subconscious in ways Logan couldn't quite understand._

"_Hey," Logan whispered tentatively leaning forward to drape his arm around Scott's bare torso. Scott stiffened momentarily, but soon sank back into Logan's warm, muscular chest with a soft cry. Beneath the blanket, Logan's hand pressed over Scott's thigh in a smooth, soothing motion while Scott's fears seemed to melt away._

"_You're safe now," Logan promised kissing the back of Scott's shoulder when Scott appeared to return to where they were with one another._

"_I know," Scott managed to get out, his voice raw and cracked after the nightmare had consumed him. Although Scott hadn't told Logan what the source of it was, Logan had suspected it was about Jean-that it had been about the survivor's guilt Scott had felt about moving on in his life. Yes, Logan and Scott had been flirting with attraction long before Jean 'died', but it wasn't until her death that the two men sought out physical comfort in one another. It was seemingly unexpected for Scott, not so much for Logan, but when it began to blossom the level of ease at which their relationship had grown seemed to prove exactly what they'd both been missing in their lives._

_Wrapping his arms more completely around Scott, Logan couldn't help, but whisper teasingly in Scott's ear, hoping to make light of the situation, "I realize that waking up in my bed is a bit of an adjustment for you Summers, but it can't be all that bad." _

_Scott replied with the beginnings of a smile. Logan couldn't see it, but he could sense it in the way that Scott's perfectly sculpted cheekbones began to rise at the side of his face. He could feel it in the way Scott's fingers laced in Logan's bringing their hands together fully._

"_It's never been better," Scott breathed shifting in Logan's arms. Scott had rolled onto his back, keeping his eyes shut tightly in order to protect Logan from the red blasts that could've torn Logan to pieces. Reaching out Logan touched the side of Scott's face silently wondering what it would've been like to see Scott's eyes-to reach into his soul with a glimpse and discover just what it was that was haunting Scott. Logan had envied Jean's ability to do just that with Scott in the past. It was the one thing that Logan knew Scott loathed with his former lover when Scott had felt his thoughts had been no longer his own, but in Scott's nocturnal madness, Logan had wished he could change things for him. If only…_

"_This feels so right," Scott reached out through the darkness, seeking out Logan's shoulder. He curled his fingers around Logan's chiseled body, sliding his hand over the front of Logan's bare chest before Logan fell back into the blankets. Logan pulled Scott in over him, cradling the smaller man against his chest protectively._

"_That's because it is right," Logan mouthed approvingly. Kissing the top of Scott's head Logan had to admit that he'd never felt so protective before, so at ease and so…dare he say it much less think it? So in love. While the notion was crazy to think that Logan would've found himself wrapped up in the stuffed shirt that had annoyed him from day one, Logan knew full well that his lust for Summers had only brushed the surface of what his heart was saying to him. Cyclops in all of his complaining, all of his protests, in all of his prissy prim and proper quirks had done the impossible. He'd made Logan want to dream of happy endings. Scott motivated Logan to stop running-to stay in one place and because of Scott, Logan was ready to push his unknown past behind him once and for all._

"_We aren't fooling anyone, you know?" Scott had spoken up after the long silence between them. It seemed the mood had shifted once the nightmare was pushed back into Scott's subconscious, "They all can see what's happening." _

"_See it," Logan repeated with a low rumble of laughter unable to resist the urge to poke fun at Scott, "hell, I would've thought they'd hear about it first given the way that you are anything, but quiet when we're together…" _

_A blush rose over Scott's features, causing him to shift uncomfortably above Logan, "I'm not that loud." _

"_Yeah, you are," Logan poked at Scott's ribs, "but I rather enjoy the rush of encouragement." _

"_That's because your ego knows no limits," Scott wrinkled his nose at Logan. _

"_That's not the only thing," Logan assured him with a playful grin. Logan's hands disappeared beneath the blankets seeking out a more primitive reaction from Scott._

"_I'm being serious," Scott frowned behind tightly closed eyelids._

"_So am I," Logan's brow raised with curiosity, "What could possibly lead you to believe otherwise?" _

"_For starters it you're tone," Scott mouthed in response while reaching out through the darkness to touch the side of Logan's face. It was a gentle brush meant to be casual, but the sweep of Scott's fingertips over Logan's stubble covered face caused Logan to take in a small breath of anticipation. When Scott's index finger pressed over the center of Logan's mouth, Logan couldn't help, but press a kiss upon it._

"_Oh how I wish I could see you," Scott sighed heavily, his heart sinking at the reality that he'd never be free to engage in the intimate act of gazing into Logan's eyes without the protective barrier of the glasses to keep them safe._

"_You see me every day," Logan shrugged, wrapping his arm tighter around Scott._

"_You know what I mean," Scott groaned outwardly. Opting to reposition himself in Logan's arms, Scott let out a long sigh, "If I could control it, then you and I could share something deeper. We could…" _

"_We already have something amazing Summers," Logan curled his finger underneath Scott's chin. Logan raised Scott's head up to meet his eyes again, "We don't need to worry about things we can't change when what we have is so very right." _

"_Even so," Scott's lashes flickered, straining in the darkness to keep from opening, "just once I'd like to see the flecks of amber in your eyes, to taste your skin and touch you without the worry, without the constant fear that I could blink and destroy you in an instant." _

"_In case you haven't noticed Summers I'm damn near indestructible," Logan offered up lightly, knowing only too well of Scott's internal torment over his mutation._

"_You have no idea what I'm capable of," Scott finally replied with a sudden seriousness. "The disaster I can create…" _

"_I know what you are Scott and it doesn't frighten me," Logan rolled Scott back onto the bed beneath him. Reaching out to slide his finger into Scott's dark hair, Logan sighed memorizing Scott's features, "Just like I don't frighten you. We understand each other. We know what it is we both want and need out of life. Nothing can change that because we finally found what we were searching for." _

"_I'd give anything just to look into your eyes just once without fear, without worry about maintaining control," Scott's words tapered off into a sadness._

"_We have something even better Summers. This is so much more," Logan had offered up flowery words of encouragement wanting it to be enough._

Now as Logan sat in the smoke filled bar, he thought back to the changes in Scott. No longer did Scott have to worry about the lasers consuming his thoughts, of the concentration needed to hold onto control. He'd finally gotten his wish, but at what price? Jean had ripped away a part of who Scott was, yet with the new twist of fate Scott had become vulnerable, more fragile and Logan had overlooked that. In a complete disregard for what Scott's loss of powers would mean to him, Logan had found himself thinking about the way things should've been. Logan had come into town expecting to regain what he'd lost with Scott-to somehow pick up where they'd left off and it had proven almost fatal. Scott had wanted to change for Logan in the past, to be able to share something they hadn't been able to before, but now that Scott was different Logan hadn't thought about the consequences. He'd simply put his animal instincts first and it had blown up in their faces.

Allowing the guilt of that to hang over Logan, he signaled the bartender for another drink. It was what he needed. It was how he was coping and nothing would allow him to change that. Tonight was about self loathing and tomorrow would be about making a choice. It was about what was needed to be done. Logan needed to think about Scott, about the future and about what would be best for everyone even if it meant giving up what he'd wanted the most out of life. Raising his glass to his lips, Logan fought with that reality until a bristling sensation of awareness spiked over his body.

"Danger," a voice inside of Logan's head warned causing Logan to sit up straighter on the bar stool. He looked around the bar, attempting to seek out the source of the uneasiness that had overtaken him. At first he'd thought it was guilt, but now with the scent of violence in the air, Logan wasn't so convinced. His eyes surveyed the bar again only to discover a dark shadow emerging from the back of the bar out into the night.

"What the…?" Logan mouthed rising up off of the barstool to go off after his instincts. There was something familiar, something he couldn't quite shake, but when he walked out of the bar into the night the feeling was gone. The lingering scent had disappeared leaving him to question his own sanity. His instincts were off, causing him to be lost in a world of paranoia, which could only mean one thing-trouble.


	4. Chapter 4

Scott was back in the classroom again listening to their taunts. He was different. He's known it for a while, but he had tried to hide it. He had been terrified, an outcast from the start, but it wasn't until Scott reached puberty that it had become unbearable. He'd prayed to God that fate would change him-that he would somehow be able to be normal, but no matter how many times Scott had begged for what others had, he'd remained an outcast. He'd been unable to enjoy the simple pleasures that others experienced. He couldn't meet someone in the eye, couldn't reach out to them with a glance when his burden was too much to bear. He was dangerous, reckless and a threat to the world around him. He was a freak, an outcast. It haunted him especially now that he was back at the desk awaiting the ostracizing he'd endured.

"You won't ever be normal," a voice taunted in the back of his mind, "You won't ever have the life that others do."

"No," Scott pushed up out of the desk, refusing to lose himself to his demons again. He knew what he was. He'd grown and evolved from the frightened child who lived his life in fear. He'd become something greater, something bigger and he could control it. He could manipulate his powers into channeling them for good. He was in control. He was…

The sound of his glasses shattering on the ground roused him from his thoughts, pulling him back to his surroundings. The school hallway transformed into something darker, something much more frightening when Scott felt something menacing in the air. It was cold and calculating, stalking him like prey. It was closing in on him. Scott was trapped, caged like an animal. He attempted to reach for his visor only to discover it was missing. He couldn't control it. His eyes suddenly felt heavy, the muscles in his lids forcing them to open involuntarily. He bucked in protest, fearing what would happen, but when the world came flooding in around him Scott felt nothing. There was no blast, no fire, no warning, just darkness. Turning around in the hallway Scott tried to reach out, to seek out some kind of help, but the walls simply closed in on him further.

"No please," he could hear his own voice whimper frightened by what was waiting in the darkness. He staggered down the blackened hallway attempting to escape, to find freedom, but just when it was within his grasp, he felt an ironclad grip upon him. There was a hand, then nails digging deep into his shoulder, cutting into his skin and drawing blood. The intruder was going to kill Scott. Scott could feel it, could sense it in the bloodlust surging through the man's veins. It was all Scott could do to fight back when he screamed, but it wasn't enough. The man was moving in for the kill and Scott wouldn't be able to fight back. He was defenseless.

Gasping Scott sprang upward on the hospital bed, surprising himself when the dream tapered off into the blinding sunlight surrounding him. His first instinct was to slam his eyes to a close, bringing his trembling hands over his face to shield the world from his involuntary blasts, but in an instant reality dawned in upon him. The blasts were gone just like a part of him had been for a while. Lowering his hands, he tried to stay focused, to force himself to take in his surroundings, accepting that his nightmare was nothing more than the dream that had plagued at him for the last few months. It was meaningless, clearly the result of what he'd lost, but it didn't hold any real validity. It couldn't. Silently coaxing himself to relax he realized his breath was uneven, heart hammering in his chest and just when Scott found himself lost in a state of confusion, he noticed a thick, floating pile of balloons at the foot of his hospital bed. With confusion carrying in over him, Scott tipped his head to the side, his eyes still adjusting to the fluorescent overhead lighting in the room, when he noticed an oversized red, heart shaped foil balloon before him.

"What the…?" Scott questioned puzzled by his surroundings. He tried to process what was happening and where he was, but his thoughts were interrupted by a familiar voice.

"If anyone asks those are from your little sister," Logan blurted out catching Scott off guard. Scott turned his head to the side seeing Logan yawning and hunched over in an uncomfortable looking chair with his neck craned to the left. Logan continued to speak in a quiet tone, "I told them she couldn't be here due to a stomach flu virus, yet she was worried about you so she asked me to bring those to you."

"My sister?" Scott repeated seeing the beginnings of color rise over Logan's features. It was all Scott could do to bite his cheeks and not poke fun at Logan's uncharacteristically tender gesture. Taking in a breath Scott nodded to the balloons again, "My sister must love me a lot to give me all of those-especially that one in the middle."

"Your sister would be lost without you," Logan replied rising to his feet and stretching out. Scott could hear Logan's bones creaking indicating that he'd been seated in the chair for a while. It had to be miserable in that position for any length of time, but judging by the expression on Logan's face, Scott deduced that Logan had spent most of the night in that very spot.

"I'd be lost without her too," Scott mouthed cryptically, his blue eyes giving Logan an involuntary once over, "You should tell her how much I appreciate the thought and effort."

"She knew you'd get all warm and fuzzy over that," Logan nodded clearing his throat. A moment later Logan's eyes wearily turned to the bandage on the hand, "How's the hand?"

"What?" Scott blinked back at Logan before taking in a breath. Lowering his blue eyes to see the bandage over his palm, Scott shrugged, "Numb I think."

"Numb," Logan repeated in an emotionless tone.

"How did I get here?" Scott couldn't help, but ask. He found himself remembering bits and pieces of the night before. There was the confrontation in Logan's hotel room, the way that they'd kissed and made up. There was the love making and then… Scott took in a breath and held it remembering the pain he'd felt when Logan's claw had penetrated through flesh and muscle, tearing through the bones in Scott's hand. It was enough for Scott to shudder before looking to Logan again.

"I took your sports car for a joyride to get you to this miserable place," Logan dropped his head shamefully, guilt carrying over his words.

"So you…" Scott hesitated, "you brought me here?"

Logan nodded silently, still refusing to meet Scott's eyes.

"You saved me," Scott whispered feeling the weight of Logan's guilt upon him.

"I damn near killed you," Logan rumbled guiltily, "I should've been more careful and…"

"I'm alright," Scott argued thinking about the morning he'd awakened to. Turning his attention to his hand again, Scott raised his arm up for a closer inspection, "It's nothing."

"That's not what your doctor said before," Logan confessed mournfully. He raised his head in a small movement, guilt washing over his features. "You could have died."

"But I didn't," Scott clarified, sensing Logan's overwhelming guilt over what had happened, "I'm still alive."

"This all began because of me," Logan tipped his head to the side, his eyes far-away and miserable as he kept his distance from Scott.

"I've cheated death so many times in the past," Scott shrugged his shoulders trying to make light of the situation. Raising his bandaged hand up in the air, Scott shrugged again, "This is nothing."

"It's not just nothing," Logan snapped, his voice raising with anger and frustration. Standing up taller, Logan began to pace around the room, clearly racked by guilt. "I lost control Scott. I promised you that I wouldn't and…"

"I wasn't paying attention," Scott interrupted refusing to allow Logan to carry the burden of the guilt, "If I hadn't been lost in my own erotic escape, then…"

"Don't do that," Logan snapped back at Scott. He turned to face Scott fully, unwavering in his guilt. Clenching his hands into fists at his sides Logan spoke up again, "Don't try to make me feel better about what I've done Summers. I don't deserve it."

"Don't deserve it?" Scott blinked back at him with a frown, "Logan, are you listening to yourself? You're acting as if something horrible happened last night, when if memory serves me right it was far from horrible."

"Losing you would have been," Logan concluded dropping his head shamefully. Turning his back to Scott, Logan's gaze traveled to the hospital door again, "I wasn't sure I should be here today."

"Why?" Scott questioned with a curl of disappointment in his lips, "Because of my hand? You know I've been a klutz when I'm not on my game. Logan, things like this happen all the time with me and..."

"Not because of me they don't," Logan revealed in a low growl, "I don't take kindly to destroying the people I love, but I can't escape it. You have no idea how hard it was for me to stay here last night. Knowing that I hurt you, I realized that the only way you'll ever be safe and happy is if I leave. You have a new life now and…"

"It's a lie Logan," Scott blurted out with a shake of his head, "It's all an illusion and we both know that. It's not who I am."

"It's who can keep you safe Scott," Logan snapped spinning on his heel to march over towards Scott. "It can give you a second chance…"

"At what? Feeling dead inside?" Scott asked harshly, his blue eyes flashing with anger and disappointment, "Because that's what I was before you found me Logan. That's all I could ever be without you."

"Everything that matters is taken from me," Logan sighed dropping down onto the bed beside Scott. He took a seat on the edge of the mattress, forcing himself to guiltily meet Scott's eyes, "and if I stay the same thing will happen with you. You have no idea how horrible it was when I spent months thinking about never being able to see you again. When I lost you before all because I wasn't strong enough to go after you…"

"It wasn't your fault," Scott explained pushing the thin hospital blanket away from his legs. Carefully he repositioned himself on the bed to sit beside Logan, "None of this ever was. We just didn't know and now…"

"You have an opportunity to be normal. It's what you'd wished for until I complicated your life," Logan breathed in a quiet purr of frustration.

"I won't deny the complications we've encountered, but at the same time I'm not going to ignore my heart when it's telling me that all I could ever want, all I could ever need is you," Scott reached out to touch the side of Logan's face. He coaxed Logan to meet his soulful blue eyes in a moment of raw honesty, "I know that your every instinct is saying that running is the best option, but it's not. It could never be for us when this is all that's ever really mattered."

"I just don't want to hurt you again when…" Logan opened his mouth in protest only to feel Scott place his thumb over the center of Logan's lips to silence him.

"The only thing that could ever truly hurt me is losing you," Scott vowed sliding the fingers of his good hand into Logan's dark, unruly hair. Inching up towards Logan, Scott's breath intermingled with his, tangling their conflicting emotions and bringing them to resolution with the chaste kiss. It took all that Logan had in him not to reach out and take Scott into his arms fully, but remembering the reason for Scott's bandaged hand, Logan refrained. Pulling back from the kiss, Logan let out a long, tortured breath before Scott curled his fingers underneath Logan's chin again.

"You're not getting away from me that easily Logan," Scott wrinkled his nose at Logan in protest. Without warning Scott dove in for another kiss, this time more possessive and demanding. It carried with it the same fire and intensity that had been alive between them the night before. It was strong, steady and filled with all the things Scott hadn't been able to convey with his words.

"Oh excuse me," a voice broke through the moment causing Logan to pull away from the kiss. He stiffened, seeing one of the nurses watching them together with wide eyes. It wasn't the first time that they had been caught red handed in one another's arms, but that had all taken place before the change in Scott. Thinking about how those kind of situations embarrassed Scott in the past, Logan attempted to come up with some kind of rational explanation for what was happening to help buffer the embarrassment Summers would feel. However, before Logan could say a word, Scott spoke up surprising him.

"Sorry," Scott's face grew a crimson shade when he reached for Logan's hand possessively bringing their fingers together again, "we haven't seen one another in a very long time, so we were hoping to make the most of our alone time together."

The surprise in the nurse's face shifted to a knowing smirk before she crossed the room clearly unphased by the kiss Scott and Logan had shared. She held a clipboard in hand and brought it over to Scott.

"In that case, you're going to be pleased with what I have for you," she nodded to the paper attached to the clipboard, "because we're going to be able to release you."

"Seriously?" Scott's blue eyes widened happily.

She nodded, "It'll be a little while, but not too long," she explained giving Logan another long look before blushing, "then you both can get back to normal."

"I can't wait," Scott grinned goofily, doing his best to scribble on the release forms before the nurse exited the room.

"Did you just…?" Logan couldn't help, but ask still stunned by the way that Scott hadn't tried to hide their involvement with one another.

"She was eyeing you before when she walked by a few minutes ago," Scott stated plainly before leaning back on the bed ever so slightly, "I figured I would set her straight on who you belonged with. You're mine."

"Yours?" Logan replied unable to repress the beginnings of the grin that tugged at his lips. "Is that a possessive tone you're starting to have with me Summers?"

"Yes," Scott nodded defiantly, "yes it is and if you think that I'm going to let you leave me after we had one minor situation arise, well, you've got another thing coming to you."

"Minor?" Logan mouthed skeptically, remembering only too well how last night had been anything, but minor for them.

"That's right," Scott added with a hint of seduction in his voice. He lowed his hand down onto Logan's thigh, a hint of teasing in his tone, "and when I'm back at my full capacity you can make it up to me for how last night ended all too soon."

"Make it up to you?" Logan's gaze dropped down to where Scott's fingers curved over his muscular thigh.

"That's right," Scott nodded squeezing Logan's leg once again, "the way I see it you owe me one, so the next fantasy is all mine. Deal?"

"I don't know," Logan replied wearily, "it would depend on what I'm getting myself into."

"Trust me you'll like it," Scott couldn't help, but offer up with a teasing tone, "and if you don't, well, you'll just have to deal with it."

"You're becoming sadistic now, aren't you?" Logan laughed lightly unable to resist reaching out to collect Scott in his arms.

"I'll admit the idea of punishing you doesn't exactly turn me off," Scott licked his lips once Logan's eyes widened.

"So then am I to assume it turns you on?" Logan questioned with amusement and anticipation bristling over his senses.

"I have to keep finding ways to entertain you," Scott sank into Logan's chest, allowing the larger man to hold him more completely. "After all you did sort of keep my dignity in tact when you brought me here last night."

"How do you figure?" Logan ran his fingers lazily through Scott's dark hair.

"The nurses aren't running around repulsed by the state I was in when I arrived, which means that you took the liberty to help me get dressed and avoid the obvious conclusion some would draw about what was happening last night," Scott tipped his head up ever so slightly to see the way Logan was eyeing him with intense scrutiny.

"You mean the fact that you and I were…" Logan couldn't help, but ask.

"Yeah that," Scott's face turned a pale shade of crimson. "That was kind of something that could've been awkward."

"No more then the nurse seeing us kissing," Logan added thinking about their situation with one another.

"Given the last thing I can really remember about you and I together, well, I have to say that would be a whole hell of a lot more awkward than a kiss," Scott's mischievous blue eyes searched Logan's again, "God, did I ever tell you how incredible you look just like this? You have the most beautiful eyes I've ever seen. I only wish I'd seen them sooner."

"I'd have to argue that point with you," Logan sighed feeling Scott's fingertips taper off into his hair, "considering that you've got the most incredible blue eyes that I've ever encountered. They're every bit as beautiful as I'd always imagined they would be."

"I know this isn't what we planned, but it's truly what I want," Scott whispered leaning in closer to Logan. "This is what I knew we should've had with one another Logan."

"You're right," Logan finally agreed moving in for another kiss now that he realized his heart would betray logic and instinct. With Summers there was nothing that he couldn't do, nothing he couldn't have in the world and with Scott in his arms, he knew full well he never wanted to leave again.

xxxxxx

Logan stood outside of the vending machine silently cursing the fact that the machine had eaten his change, but hadn't given him what he'd requested. Now thirsty as hell and waiting for Scott to finish up with his release, Logan looked around the corridor anxiously. Once he realized he was alone, he let out a small growl and kicked the machine. Still nothing happened. Frustrated he hit it again, finding that it produced the same results. Groaning, he finally released his claws, feeling a tiny shudder at the thought of what they'd done the last time he'd used them. They were dangerous, a part of what he shouldn't be, but now when he was alone, it would be alright. He sent one into the machine, jolting it just enough to bring the can down to the opening slot.

"Thank you," Logan mouthed pulling the can from the machine just in time to hear Scott approaching.

"Is that for me?" Scott questioned watching Logan open the top of the can, anticipating his first, big drink.

"Actually…" Logan contemplated the sip he'd wanted to take, but instead offered the can to Scott with a sugary sweet smile, "Of course."

"Thanks," Scott took a hearty drink of it, allowing it to sink down his throat in a gulp before he lowered the can. Seeing the way that Logan's eyes were fixed on the can, Scott handed it over to Logan again, "Want some?"

"Nah," Logan shrugged, "I'll catch a beer on the way back to the hotel."

"The hotel," Scott wrinkled his nose while weighing out their options, "actually, how about we bypass the hotel and go back to my place?"

"Your place?" Logan replied curiously, his golden eyes widening at the notion.

"Yeah, you'll find it's far more comfortable than the dump you were staying in," Scott suggested with a hint of eagerness in his tone. "Hell, I'll even let you drive me back."

"In that case, I'd better take full advantage," Logan readily accepted Scott's keys at the two men exited the hospital unaware of the eyes upon them. Once they'd rounded the hallway a dark shadow emerged, enraged by the sight he'd witnessed between them. Logan and Scott might've felt they found happiness, but he as certain that would all change sooner than they'd anticipated. Domestic bliss would never be a part of the equation ever. That much he was certain of!


	5. Chapter 5

"A Chia Pet?" Logan questioned with a groan, flicking the tips of his fingers over the potted donkey shaped plant that was perched upon the counter near Scott's kitchen window. "Really?"

"Hey," Scott protested while moving around his kitchen to pull together the steaks he was preparing for dinner, "a man has to find something to keep busy with, does he not?"

"Most take to cars and porn, not shrubbery," Logan shuddered with a teasing jolt in his voice, "I mean I knew you were a bit off Summers, but this…"

"Was a gift from a coworker," Scott set the steaks aside and reached out to wipe his hand on a towel, "plus it's very relaxing."

"It's something alright," Logan chuckled with another amused rumble of laughter, "but masculine is not one of the terms I would use to describe it."

"Wow masculine. That's a word I never anticipated hearing fall from your lips Logan. It sounds a bit, well, flowery for your type of prose," Scott tossed back flippantly.

"Must be the after effects of having your tongue in my mouth," Logan remarked with a hint of teasing in his tone, "Your words must be lingering in that respect."

"In that case you should feel fortunate because I have a very good way with words," Scott boasted with a hint of laughter, "and I am rather good with my tongue."

"It still doesn't change the fact that this," Logan plucked at the top of the green, leafy donkey before him, "is beneath you."

"I don't care," Scott wrinkled his nose at Logan before nodding to the steaks on the counter, "Carry these with me out back to the grill."

"Outside?" Logan's amber eyes surveyed the oversized kitchen they were standing in. While it wasn't nearly as big as the one in the school, it was still no less impressive. Then again the house in itself was the picture perfect portrait of domestic bliss. Scott had selected a place away from the busy downtown scene, more secluded within the trees and property. It felt like home in it's own way-that is if Logan could truly imagine what home was like. Even with the granite and marble surrounding them in the kitchen and more gadgets then Logan could count, it still appeared to be devoid of what Scott was hoping for in their dining experience. "Don't you think we've got enough of a commercial kitchen in here to finish this task?"

"They taste better on the grill," Scott explained walking over to collect the vegetables that he'd been working on. "This will be good that way as well. Besides you'll appreciate the grill. It's very masculine."

"Given the state of everything in this kitchen I seriously doubt it," Logan poked at Scott teasingly before reaching for the steaks on the tray. Unable to ignore their welcoming aroma, Logan felt his stomach rumble, "You have enough here for an army."

"You say that now, but once they're cooked I know you'll have no problem finishing them off," Scott added making his way out back towards the patio, "Plus I want to keep your strength up for tonight."

"Why might that be?" Logan purred with delight, sensing the aroma of lust surrounding Scott. While they had urged Scott to take it easy back at the hospital, Logan knew that wouldn't be in their plans if Scott had his way. Something told Logan that even if he'd foolishly refused sex would certainly be on the agenda one way or another. Thinking about their last sexual encounter Logan tensed up fearing that he could lose control again, but with the way Scott was watching him eyeing him like the cat who ate the canary Logan found himself brave enough to ignore the guilt for a while.

"You're smart enough to figure it out," Scott lead Logan out back to the patio that was twice as impressive as the house in itself. In the back there was an oversized yard, trees and water heading off towards the mountains.

"Wow," Logan couldn't help, but reveal thinking about what they'd just stepped out into, "this is impressive Summers. Accounting must do you good."

"Somewhat," Scott shrugged walking over to the grill, "but some of it's what I've had on reserve for a while."

"Reserve?" Logan turned his attention to Scott again. "With all your cars and motorcycles I wouldn't think you'd have anything left."

"I've been good at balancing practicality and indulging," Scott offered up simply, "It's the one thing that I've always been in control of with finances."

"Hence your taking up accounting," Logan deduced thinking about what he'd learned of Scott's new position when he'd first arrived in town.

"Something like that," Scott shrugged his shoulders, "It's a far cry from saving the world, but then again there aren't many options for former X-Men who no longer have any mutations to work with for the greater good."

"Scott," Logan frowned feeling Scott's sadness hang over him like a dark cloud lingering.

"It's okay," Scott attempted to dismiss the thoughts that still consumed him, "I mean in it's own way this was what I'd hoped for. I was always afraid of what could happen if I lost control. I feared I would hurt someone, that I could even kill an innocent with my mutation, but now…"

"You wouldn't have. I know your character," Logan stepped forward before setting the steaks on the impressive grill behind where Scott stood. "I know your heart and I know that you never would've allowed it to get to that."

"I already hurt so many people Logan," Scott took in a breath, "by pretending to be someone I wasn't. All those years I spent being repressed by the world's expectations and denying who I was didn't help anything. I made so many mistakes and…"

"Don't," Logan interrupted with a shake of his head, "don't say something you don't mean."

"I used to wish that I was normal Logan," Scott let out an ironic laugh, "I used to believe that it would make everything easier-that if somehow I could see the world just as everyone else did that I'd be free. I thought I'd be happy…"

"I can't even pretend to imagine what it is you're going through right now," Logan touched Scott's shoulder tenderly.

"Hell would be close, but not accurate in describing it," Scott divulged turning away from Logan. "I try to pretend it's fine, but I feel helpless, trapped inside this world of normality. I thought in being able to see the world, to look at it's beauties unfiltered it would bring me peace, but I feel as if I'm more in darkness than I was before. It's all consuming and…"

"Scott," Logan reached out to wrap his arms around Scott protectively.

"There's no use in whining about it," Scott bristled in response, attempting to pull himself together again. "I'm still here. So many others aren't and for that I need to be grateful."

"You aren't alone any longer," Logan promised resting his chin on Scott's shoulder. "Neither one of us are."

Scott let out a small laugh, "Who would have thought we'd end up like this?"

"Not me," Logan confessed with a genuine warmth carrying over him in the moment, "If anyone would've told me that my endless searches would've lead me to Ohio with you, well I might've said they were crazy."

"Do you still feel that way?" Scott challenged raising his head up to search Logan's eyes with the blue warmth of his own.

"Not a chance," Logan promised stroking the side of Scott's face lovingly. Although the movement should've been awkward, it felt good-natural even with Scott's eager eyes upon him, "because as far as I'm concerned everything that lead me to you was just a stepping stone to bring me back to where I was always meant to be."

"Good answer," Scott rose up on his toes to steal a quick kiss from Logan once again, "Now about those steaks…"

"I'm working on it," Logan laughed lightly realizing that for the first time in a very long time he felt at ease. He wasn't a monster, wasn't an animal, but rather a man with everything in the world he'd always feared he could never have. It was then in holding Scott that he realized he also had everything to lose. Banishing the thought, Logan tried to focus on dinner and force a smile, "Let's see what we can do."

xxxxxx

"No!" Scott shrieked terror overtaking every inch of him when he sprung up off of the bed, tearing the blankets from his body with a rush of a gasp. It was three in the morning, long after passion had died down between him and Logan, yet Scott's racing heart and twisted features were enough to pull Logan from his satiated state. Sitting up beside Scott, Logan reached out to him through the darkness finding himself overtaken by a state of deja vu.

"Scott, hey…" Logan spoke up in a tentative breath, doing his best to banish the groggy feeling inside of him, but Scott seemed to only further tense up at his side. "Scott!"

"No," Scott brought his hands up to his head, a deep, profound throbbing ache centering in over his brain, worming it's way into his thoughts, invading them, controlling him in the moment. Someone was there inside of him, stealing his peace, ripping away his serenity all over again. Clenching his head tighter, Scott felt the beginnings of a panic attack coming on.

"Scott!" Logan spoke his name in a firm, unyielding tone.

"Don't touch me!" Scott shouted, turning to the side and falling out of the bed in a frenzy.

Logan rolled onto his side watching Scott crawl across the floor, screeching and wailing in terror. His knees were up near his chest, hands covering his face as if he was trying to ward off the blasts that had once lingered there, but beyond that were tears of anguish.

"Please stop…" Scott's voice bellowed wildly, his fingers releasing his head. He squeezed his fingers into his palms, causing blood to stain the bandage he'd been wearing while Logan panicked.

"Scott!" Logan roared springing off the bed with animalistic strength. He leapt to a spot on the floor before Scott, reaching out to tear Scott's fingers from his bleeding palm while hoping to soothe his lover, "Scott look at me."

"I can't," Scott bit down hard on his lower lip, "Logan I…"

"Yes you can. Scott," Logan released Scott's hand, opting to reach out and hold both sides of Scott's face securely. When Scott kept his eyelids pinched together tightly, Logan could feel the fear expanding, sense the growing panic that would undoubtedly bring Scott to his grave if he didn't calm down, "Scott!"

"Logan," Scott finally breathed desperately, his eyelids snapping open to reveal the tearful blue depths buried beneath his lashes. There was terror, dread and something else that Logan hadn't seen in quite some time-helplessness.

"That's right," Logan coaxed him on further, still holding onto his face, "I'm here with you. Come back to me."

Scott's eyelashes fluttered, blinked a few times, his breathing still ragged and uneven when Logan slid onto the floor beside him. Saying nothing, Logan curled his arm around Scott's lean muscular form, cradling Scott in against his chest. Logan could feel the heat of Scott's perspiration soaked body still caught up in trembling, but deep down Logan could sense Scott realized he was safe. Naked and shaken in Logan's arms on his bedroom floor, Scott seemed to return from the nightmare that had overtaken him, haunting him much like he'd been before he disappeared all that time ago.

"What happened?" Logan questioned smoothing his fingers over Scott's spine to help put him at ease, "Talk to me."

"It was a nightmare," Scott confessed in a raspy, shallow breath, "The same one I've been having since I woke up different."

"What kind of nightmare?" Logan asked worriedly, fearing what was troubling Scott's mind, "Like before?"

"No," Scott admitted bringing an arm around Logan's waist, holding Logan as if his life depended on it, "these are worse."

"How so?" Logan asked with a tentative breath.

"They feel stronger," Scott breathed helplessly, "more real. It's like I'm walking through a moment in my life, but I can't change the outcome. I know danger is all around me, but I can't escape from it. I'm me, but different…"

"Different how?" Logan questioned running his fingers gently across Scott's spine.

"I'm younger. I still have my powers, but I can't use them," Scott revealed with a tight whisper, "I'm in the darkness and I'm being stalked. Danger is all around me. It's ready to close in on me, but I'm weak. I can't fight back. I want to, but I can't. I know on some level I could easily blast the threat away, but when I try I'm stopped…"

"It's just a dream," Logan offered up wondering if Scott's inner turmoil over losing his powers had prompted the nightmares. "It can't hurt you."

"That's what I thought before she called to me Logan," Scott tipped his head up to meet Logan's concerned eyes through the darkness. "I wrote it off as my subconscious playing on my defenses and breaking them down, but this feels deeper. Someone's in my head-trying to pull this out of me and every time I try to fight them I fail."

"Like a telepath?" Logan questioned feeling a red flag upon the moment. "Jean?"

"No," Scott shook his head firmly, "It can't be, could it? It doesn't feel like she did when she was poking around in my head. This is different. It's…"

"Jean's dead," Logan blurted out with a tiny shudder remembering his final confrontation with Jean as Phoenix. "She was uncontrollable and needed to be stopped. It wasn't what I wanted to see happen, but…"

"I drove her to madness Logan," Scott sighed heavily feeling a weight carry over him. He sat up straighter pulling out of Logan's arms just enough to meet Logan's eyes fully. "I kept lying to her about everything and…"

"You didn't do anything wrong," Logan frowned as Scott detangled himself from Logan's arms.

"She knew what I was thinking. She saw what was happening with us Logan," Scott tensed up at the memory of their beginnings with one another. "She knew the lust in my heart even before I was ready to own up to it."

"Summers, that's not why…" Logan opened his mouth in protest, preparing to say something to alleviate the guilt that plagued at Scott.

"She used to get inside me, walk around in my head when she thought I wasn't noticing," Scott pulled his legs up to his chest and let out a breath, "She invaded my dreams and I know that's when she knew. She saw I was tempted-knew that I desired something more…"

"I was obvious about what I felt for you as well," Logan frowned at Scott's self-loathing. "I never hid the fact that I wanted to get under your skin. She knew I was using her to do it much like I did with the cars and the bike."

"It wasn't fair to her," Scott exhaled slowly. He looked down to his hand thinking about the ache radiating from underneath his bandage, "I tried to ignore it, but in time it was harder. I cared about her, but when I kissed her and thought about kissing you…"

"You thought about kissing me?" Logan couldn't help but smirk inappropriately, "Really?"

"Oh please," Scott rolled his eyes at Logan, "like you couldn't sense it."

"I could sense it," Logan couldn't help, but give Scott a thorough once over, "hell, I was practically begging for it hoping you'd just muster up enough nerve to be furious enough challenge me to a duel on the grounds."

"A duel?" Scott eyed Logan suspiciously.

"That's right. It sounded like some kind of prissy gentleman's battle you'd want to engage in with me," Logan nodded with a sheepish grin, "I figured if we got physical, then we'd get physical."

"Nice," Scott couldn't help, but groan rolling his eyes, "so you weren't sure whether you wanted to tackle me with a beat down or if you wanted to beat me off."

"Hey now," Logan couldn't help, but poke Scott in the ribs, "that's a bit naughty for the boy scout we both know you are Summers. I may have to spank you for having such a dirty mouth."

"Are we really going to have this conversation now?" Scott's brow creased with heavy disapproval. "I mean really Logan here we are having this serious conversation and…"

"You looked like you needed lightening up," Logan reached out to coax Scott in closer to him, "and I think I know exactly how to do it."

"Is that right?" Scott wrinkled his nose, allowing Logan to pull him forward into a hungry kiss. In an instant Logan's arms surrounded Scott, pulling Scott completely into his lap in a ravenous display of the lust that Scott had awakened in him simply by their nearness. His tongue plundered into Scott's mouth, greedily stealing the naughty thoughts Scott carried from within. Scott wrapped his arms around Logan's shoulders more securely welcoming the distraction for the time being. It was all the motivation Scott needed to have Logan carry him back to bed ready to pick up where they'd left off with one another when exhaustion had torn them away from waking hours into slumber.

"After the last twenty four hours, you could use a good relaxation," Logan explained setting Scott down on the blankets carefully. Sliding in over Scott, Logan pinned him into the mattress with his solid, muscular form.

"This part is far from relaxing," Scott murmured rising up off of the bed to take Logan's lower lip between his teeth, biting down on the plump flesh eagerly.

"It can be when we've had our fill," Logan ground his body over Scott's remembering their earlier coupling. Although Logan had reservations over making love to Scott, they'd compromised at Logan's request. Looking to the sheets tied to the bed posts in mock restraints, Logan felt a shiver of delight carry over him at the idea of Summers dominating him. It was something far different for them, yet when Scott had agreed to tie Logan's hands down it had been explosive, wild and erotic on a whole new level. Unable to touch Scott drove Logan into a frenzy and when Scott had finally allowed Logan to be inside of him, it defied all logic and reason.

"I don't think I could ever have my fill," Scott whispered scratching his neatly trimmed nails of one hand over Logan's chest. Their mouths met in a frenzy, tongues tasting and daring one another to deny passion, but it was futile.

"Glad to hear you say that Summers," Logan rolled onto his back, bringing Scott over him possessively. Their kiss continued growing and expanding until finally Logan released Scott. Reaching for the tangled sheets on the bedpost Logan attempted to twist one around his wrist again to protect Scott.

"Wait," Scott grabbed Logan's arm. Pulling Logan's hand in against the side of his face, Scott spoke up soothingly, "you don't have to do that Logan."

"Yes I do," Logan frowned thinking about the things he would have to keep in check in order to make sure Scott was safe.

"No," Scott argued with a curl of protest upon his lips, "you don't. I know I'm safe with you."

"No," Logan insisted, his gaze involuntarily shifting to the bandage on Scott's hand. It was then that he remembered the blood. He recalled the madness Scott had awakened to moments earlier and in an instant the mood changed. "You're still bleeding."

"What?" Scott questioned with a wrinkled expression. Seeing the blood soaking through the bandage Scott frowned, "Oh…"

"You might've pulled out your stitches," Logan sighed sitting up straighter on the bed and reaching out to the lamp on the nightstand. He flicked it on, seeing the disappointment register in Scott. Still undeterred by the concern for his lover, Logan reached for Scott's hand inspecting the bandage closely. "We should probably get you in a new wrap."

"I'm fine," Scott protested yanking his hand away from Logan's worried eyes.

"No you aren't," Logan finally realized returning to their earlier conversation, "This isn't what you need right now."

"How the hell do you know?" Scott huffed defiantly. With a shake of his head, Scott pushed off of Logan's body and marched across the bedroom to the master bath.

"Oh come on Summers," Logan groaned outwardly, "Please don't tell me you're angry because I'm concerned about you."

"I'm angry because you're afraid of hurting me now," Scott mouthed sourly from inside the bathroom.

"It's because I did hurt you," Logan's weary eyes shifted to the restraints on the bed again, realizing that tonight would not be a time for them again.

"I said I was alright," Scott quipped stubbornly causing Logan to rise up from the bed to join him in the bathroom.

"I heard what you said Scott, but I know myself," Logan explained standing in the doorway to watch Scott closely. Moonlight filtered in through the window near the tub shadowing Scott's every beautiful line of his body and framing it in such a fashion that Logan couldn't help, but be overtaken by the lust he was fighting to suppress. "When I lost control…"

"You felt free," Scott spun around to face Logan again, "We both did."

"I felt it before when we made love with the restraints," Logan explained stepping forward to bridge the distance between them, "You can't tell me that you didn't get a rush from that either because I know you did. I could smell it over you when you were taking charge of the situation. You liked it."

"I won't deny that, but at the same time…" Scott's blue eyes flashed over the lines of Logan's body, his lips smacking together involuntary when his gaze centered in on Logan's hardened length reminiscent of the desire Logan still felt in the moment.

"I don't want to hurt you," Logan sighed unable to resist placing his hands on his hips to display his proud arousal now that Scott's eyes hadn't tapered away, "Can't we just compromise?"

"Compromise," Scott pondered for a long moment in time. "Logan, we've been through a hell of a lot with one another…"

"Which is all the more reason why rushing it should be out of the question," Logan sighed heavily, knowing that more than anything he wanted to give in to Scott's request, allowing limitations to be erased where their passion was concerned. "We can give something different a shot and see how it works for us."

"Fine," Scott decided bridging the distance between them, "then let me make love to you."

"I wasn't denying you that," Logan wrinkled his nose at Scott's suggestion, "If we just use a little caution, then…"

"No, that's not what I mean," Scott rose up on his toes to steal a kiss from Logan's mouth. Snaking one arm around Logan's shoulders, Scott bit down on Logan's lower lip, "I want to be inside of you."

"Inside of me?" Logan repeated with surprise in the back of his throat. "As in…"

"If you want to give me complete control, then make it worth my while," Scott suggested running his fingers over Logan's scalp in a light scratch. "Let's be different."

"Scott, that's not what I was saying," Logan blurted out thinking about the weight of Scott's request. While it hadn't ever really come up for them before, Logan had to admit the idea was somewhat thrilling. Summers had always been passionate and receptive to Logan's intensity, but could Logan do the same? It was a racy suggestion, one that Logan had indulged in the past, but knowing how passive Summers had been about certain things, he hadn't thought to ask. He hadn't wanted to risk it in spoiling the perception Scott had of him.

"Why not?" Scott questioned searching Logan's eyes through the darkness. "Does the idea terrify you?"

"No," Logan answered honestly, his breath shallow and consumed by the very notion Scott had planted into his mind, "not in the least."

"Does it excite you?" Scott spoke up in a darker undertone, transcending him beyond the boy scout that Logan had gotten used to through the years. This was a more primitive, wilder version of Summers and suddenly Logan found himself wanting that part of Scott all the more.

"Very much," Logan divulged in a neutral tone, catching Scott by surprise with the admission.

"So then what's the problem?" Scott rose up on his toes to kiss Logan all over again.

"Your hand is bleeding," Logan murmured sliding his arm around Scott's waist, "and we should really check in on it."

"You're making excuses," Scott wrinkled his nose at Logan disapprovingly.

"It doesn't change that you're still bleeding," Logan reached out to pull Scott's hand in closer to him for inspection. "We need to make sure you didn't break through your stitches."

"Fine," Scott agreed stubbornly, "but don't think this changes things for us."

"Nothing's changed," Logan stated plainly all the while doing his best to mute the thoughts consuming him in the moment, "and to answer your request if that's what you want, then I'll be more than happy to oblige. You can have me any way you want me as long as I'm yours."

"Mine," Scott's tension melted away from his features, turning back to the same eager smirk that Logan had found himself appreciating more and more each day. Come to think of it, Logan was also finding himself enamored by those beautiful blue eyes that fate had kept secret for so very long. Gazing into them Logan found himself willing to offer everything to please Scott, to turn the world upside down if Scott had asked it of him. "I like that."

"I knew you would," Logan shook his head and laughed, "now about your hand."

"It's not that bad," Scott shrugged before reaching for another bandage. "I didn't realize that I'd even reopened the wound again when…."

"Let me see it," Logan stepped forward reaching for Scott's bandaged hand. Taking in a breath, he began to pull at the bloody material, carefully extracting it from Scott's palm in a hesitant motion.

"I'm sure it's…" Scott started to dismiss Logan's concerns when they both caught a first glimpse of Scott's hand. It was black and blue, bruised to the point it didn't look human any longer. In the center of Scott's palm he was stitched up in such a pattern that Logan was reminded of the old Frankenstein movies of days gone by. It was excruciating to look at, reminding Logan of how he'd inflicted the pain upon Scott. Guilt him harder than ever.

"Hmm," Scott tried to lighten the mood, "I guess I'm not going to be in the running to be a hand model any longer."

"Summers," Logan frowned at Scott.

"What?" Scott feigned innocence, "I'm just saying, though the battle scars add character, don't you think?"

"Scott…" Logan opened his mouth in protest.

"Scars are sexy I've been told," Scott wiggled his brow at Logan suggestively, "especially when they're a reminder of such an incredible night."

"I'd just as soon wish this part of it away," Logan sighed somberly raising Scott's hand in the air for a closer inspection. Unable to contain his curiosity, he carefully shifted Scott's palm around to see the top of Scott's hand matched the bottom, looking every bit as mangled as Logan had feared, "This looks painful."

"It really doesn't hurt," Scott mouthed behind gritted teeth. It was a clear attempt to hide what he was really feeling in the moment when Logan twisted Scott's palm upward once again.

"I don't buy that for a second. Because of your good guy reputation you aren't that good at lying," Logan grumbled reaching for the antiseptic that the hospital had sent home with Scott.

"Hey, you can't blame a guy for trying. Besides, if I didn't at least try to give you a hard time, then you'd feel like I wasn't being true to myself," Scott teased lightly, "After all it's not every day I get to have the mighty Wolverine as my personal nurse."

"Don't get too used to it because I'm not one for the domestic thing," Logan warned seeking out the source of Scott's bleeding. Much to his relief Logan discovered the blood was from higher up on Scott's palm where his fingers had penetrated the skin. Although it had felt like a lot of blood, Scott hadn't reopened his wound as Logan had feared.

"I don't know about that," Scott leaned back against the countertop provocatively, "you haven't tried running away so far."

"I thought about it," Logan divulged meeting Scott's eyes again after he'd finished wrapping up the bandage. "Last night I was in a dark place…"

"But you stayed," Scott reminded him. Reaching out to stroke the side of Logan's face in an affectionate gesture, "you realized running away wouldn't solve anything."

"Maybe I was just in need of a good screw," Logan remarked with a teasing growl. "Getting laid often outweighs the idea of having to spend long, cold nights alone on the run."

"You already had an amazing screw before I went to the hospital," Scott wrinkled his nose at Logan, "we both know it was something more."

"Are you really going to make me say it again after I slipped up last night?" Logan shook his head and sighed. "Because I have to tell you I'm not really one for flowery displays of emotion. You know how I feel about you Scott, but if you're expecting me to continue with the sap and girl talk, then…"

"How about settling for a blow job instead?" Scott wiggled his brow suggestively.

"What the hell happened to you last night Summers? Did you lose your filtering system with all that blood?" Logan's eyes widened in astonishment at Scott's blatant suggestion. "That isn't at all what I'd anticipate hearing from you considering how repressed you were before we slept together that first time."

"Would you rather I stop?" Scott questioned giving Logan another long once over.

"I wouldn't go that far, but damn…you've come a long way from our first kiss to this," Logan reached out to curl his arm around the back of Scott's body, pulling him away from the countertop.

"What can I say?" Scott shrugged simply, "I'm a man who knows what he wants and plans on getting it."

"Clearly," Logan couldn't help, but give Scott a long, appreciative once over, "You've given me a lot to process."

"So process," Scott suggested bringing up his uninjured hand, sliding the fingers over the center of Logan's chest, tapering off over his the solid muscular ripple of his abdomen. Smiling, Scott's touch lingered over Logan's body, feeling the strength held captive from within. Leaning forward up on his toes Scott whispered in Logan's ear heatedly, "and I'll work you up to a distraction."

"I'm already distracted Summers," Logan confessed stepping forward in a larger than life movement. He scooped Scott into his arms, guiding him upward onto the countertop in a lightening quick motion.

"Good," Scott wrapped his arms around Logan's shoulders, "I like it that way."

"Just you wait," Logan growled leaning forward to take Scott's lower lip between his teeth, "because I've got plans for you."

"Hey, who is the seducer and who is being seduced right now?" Scott questioned pulling back just enough to search Logan's eyes.

"I know we agreed to switch it up a bit, but right now I want to bury myself inside of you, claiming you until all of that dirty talk either escalates or leaves your mind completely because of the bliss you're feeling," Logan stated plainly, his voice conveying the cool, logical approach he knew full well he hadn't truly been capable of. Reaching for Scott's legs he pulled Scott closer to him preparing to engage in another wild, reckless kiss when the sound of glass shattering pulled them both from the moment.

"What was that?" Logan questioned, his senses suddenly on overload when he smelled something unfamiliar in the air. He hesitated listening to gauge himself for what was going on outside of the master bedroom. Someone was inside. They were moving around, getting into something and in an instant Logan felt it again-danger. Stepping aside, he issued Scott a warning look, "Stay here. I'm going to check it out."

"Not by yourself you aren't," Scott frowned sliding up off of the countertop to follow after Logan.

"I don't know what's out there, but if it something that could lead to trouble, I want you safe," Logan announced placing himself between Scott and the door as a barrier to keep Scott from unknowingly heading into danger.

"I'm not helpless Logan," Scott huffed impatiently, his frustrations mounting with his words, "I can face whatever is out there."

"I'd rather you didn't," Logan added still sensing the movement out by the kitchen.

"You don't have a choice in the matter," Scott remarked stubbornly.

"Scott," Logan frowned seeing Scott walk over to retrieve a robe for himself. Logan watched Scott wrap himself up in it before Scott attempted to offer Logan another of his robes, "save it. It'll never fit."

"Fine suit yourself," Scott walked over to the linen closet and pulled out a small box from within. A moment later Scott opened it and pulled out a gun. He held it up in the air for Logan to see, "As I said I can hold my own."

"I don't like guns," Logan frowned feeling an uneasiness at the idea of Scott being in a bullet's path.

"I'm an excellent marksman now, but rest assured it's only a last resort," Scott pushed past Logan to open the bathroom door.

"Wait," Logan placed his hand on Scott's shoulder to prevent him from leaving, "at least let me go first."

"Fair enough," Scott conceded stepping aside to allow Logan first look at the situation with their intruder.

Taking the lead Logan moved out of the bedroom into the darkened hallway wondering if the intruder had anything to do with the danger Logan had felt the night before. Although the scent in the air was revealing nothing, Logan couldn't help, but think about Scott a mere few feet behind him vulnerable and open to trouble. Yes, a gun might've stopped a random stranger seeking out a couple of cheap thrills in stealing a few trinkets, but given what Logan had surveyed about the property Scott's home was on, Logan knew a simple break in wouldn't prove to be that simple. The more Logan stewed over the issue, the more he began to wonder if he'd been followed into town. If someone was lurking in the shadows hoping to find the right opportunity to launch an attack on Logan and Scott believing that Scott was his old self, then the results would be disastrous. Standing up taller, Logan tried to shield Scott from the potential threat when something familiar carried over the air. It wasn't a welcome scent, yet it was one Logan recognized.

"Wendy," Logan mouthed stopping in his tracks. He turned around to face Scott fully with a disapproving scowl, "Wendy's here."

"Wendy," Scott gave Logan a strange look before realization dawned in upon him, "damn it. I was supposed to be out of town for a conference. She agreed to come over and water the plants for me."

"At this time in the morning?" Logan's eyes flashed with jealousy.

"Trust me," Scott walked over to the table near the end of the hallway and tucked the gun away in one of the drawers, "she doesn't believe that I'm here. I'll get rid of her."

"You do that," Logan frowned watching Scott brush by him in an attempt to put an end to their surprise's guest's presence in the house. Still as Logan's eyes shifted between the drawer Scott had tucked the gun away in, Logan found himself caught up in the contemplation of pulling it out and just shooting Wendy to eliminate the competition if need be. Then again he was more evolved than that, right?

xxxxx

Scott tightened the sash on his navy colored robe before drawing in a breath he hadn't been aware he'd been keeping. When he'd heard the glass shattering, he hadn't thought anything of it first. However, after Logan had been overtaken by panic, Scott's thoughts returned to his nightmares again. They were the reason he'd picked up a gun in the first place, but he hadn't been brave enough to share that information with Logan. He'd figured if the person chasing him in his nightmares ever came calling in real life, he'd find a way to put them down by any means necessary with or without his powers.

Now, however, with Wendy sniffing around his kitchen, Scott felt a bit foolish for overreacting. Turning to peer into the kitchen, he spotted her crouched down on the floor in a beige colored trench coat, doing her best to pick up the shattered glass from what appeared to be a vase on the floor. It wasn't one that Scott recognized, but in seeing the colorful carnations splashed out across the tiled floor, Scott realized Wendy must've brought them in with her. She poked at the glass swearing to herself as Scott cleared his throat to alert her to his presence in the room.

"Emergency plant detail?" Scott inquired raising a curious brow. "I know you try to take your duties seriously, but isn't it a little late?"

"Scott," she gasped springing up to her toes in a nervous jolt. She gulped twice before attempting to smile at him, "hi."

"Hi," Scott leaned in against the archway trying to suppress the amusement that carried over him in seeing her face take on a pale crimson shade.

"I was just um…" Wendy looked to the glass, then up to him again, "I was well um…"

"Bringing in your own flowers," Scott stood up straighter while doing his best to keep his lighthearted teasing going, "Apparently you didn't understand the concept of watering the plants that I had here, right?"

"Actually," she tucked a strand of her long, dark hair behind her ear, "I sort of kind of knew that you weren't out of town. I mean yes I had your key because of the plants, but…"

"I don't understand," Scott gave her another look. Suddenly feeling uncomfortable, he tightened the knot on his robe sash again before drawing in a breath, "Wendy, is something wrong?"

"Something's been very wrong for a while Scott," she added with her voice trembling. She took a bold step towards him, her dark eyes penetrating his with a silent longing. It was then that Scott's eyes fell upon her wardrobe once again with an uneasiness.

"Wendy, what are you doing?" Scott gulped down seeing her move to untie her trench coat.

"Something I should've done a long time ago," she explained pulling open the trench coat to reveal her naked form underneath. She smiled at him, dropping the jacket down over her shoulders while she threw out a seductive smirk, "I kind of hoped that maybe you and I could find a way to cash in on our stellar chemistry with one another."

"You mean you were thinking that we…" Scott's jaw dropped in unison with her coat. She kicked it away before sauntering over to Scott in a brazen fashion.

"Don't you think it's about time we stop denying what it is we really want from one another?" she threw her arms around him brazenly, her lips attempting to seek his out.

"No I don't," Scott detangled himself from her arms in a panic, "I mean I like you Wendy. I like you a lot and we've had some great laughs with one another, but this, well this isn't going where you think it is."

"Only because you've been shy about it, but I decided that it's time for me to take the lead," Wendy followed Scott across the kitchen. She stepped in behind him, wrapping her arms around his waist and continuing, "You can't deny the raw, sexual heat between us Scott. It's been brewing for a while and…"

"No Wendy it hasn't been brewing…" Scott opened his mouth in an attempt to let her down. He shifted in her arms, turning around to unhook her arms from his body when Logan entered the room unabashedly naked and arrogant in his stance.

"What's brewing? Are you putting on coffee Summers because I know I promised you a long night," Logan flirted, not bothering to censor the sexual roar in his voice. He crossed the kitchen, completely ignoring Wendy when he reached out to Scott pulling him into an eager embrace. Dipping down he kissed Scott shamelessly, holding nothing back on the attempt. Logan felt Scott's knees buckle, his body leaning in closer to Logan's strong, powerful chest and just when Scott pulled away breathless, Logan finally addressed Wendy with an icy smirk feigning surprise, "Oh…I didn't realize we had company…"

"Actually," Wendy stammered, a look of horror overtaking her when she rushed across the room to seek out the jacket she'd shamelessly discarded in an attempt to capture Scott's full attention. Now seeing Logan naked and all over Scott, her face grew a deep shade of crimson, "this was a mistake."

"I'm sure it was," Logan wrapped his arm around Scott's shoulders possessively. Logan raised a curious brow before flashing Wendy a warning smirk, "one that undoubtedly won't be happening again."

"Of course," Wendy lowered her eyes, the scent of embarrassment and humiliation surrounding her now that Logan had drilled his point home with Scott's uninvited guest, "I should go."

"Good idea," Logan quipped leaning back against the counter. He stretched his arms out behind his head before propping himself back on his elbows over the top of the counter. The movement caused his hips to arch forward drawing attention to the arousal that still carried over him after the taste of Scott's kiss lingered upon him. As anticipated Wendy gasped, noticing everything Logan had wanted her to. With a triumphant smirk, he waved at her in a mocking gesture, "We'll be seeing you Wendy."

"I'm…I'm…" Wendy gulped harder than before. She couldn't meet Logan or Scott's eyes as she rushed over to the back door, "I have to go."

"Wendy," Scott broke his stunned silence attempting to say something to make the situation less tense, but he found himself at a loss, "I'll see you on Monday at work."

"Yeah whatever," Wendy shuffled out the back door finally giving Scott and Logan their privacy all over again.

Once Logan heard the sound of Wendy getting into her car and turning on the engine, he spoke up with an amused sarcasm in his tone, "She seems like a great girl. We should have her over more often for coffee."

"Was that really necessary?" Scott frowned, disapproval carrying over his posture. He faced Logan fully with agitated eyes. "That was a bit much."

"I didn't think it appropriate to beat the life out of her for trying to jump you, so I went for a more civilized approach," Logan shrugged leaning back further against the counter and shifting on his feet.

"You call this civilized?" Scott gave Logan a long once over, "She looked like she was going to pass out when you walked in here."

"Serves her right," Logan stretched his fingers out to the place on the counter where he'd left his cigars earlier. Reaching for one, he placed it between his lips before winking at Scott. "Besides I gave her something to think about. It's not every day she or any other woman gets to see me naked, right?"

"Oh please," Scott rolled his eyes at Logan, "that's mature."

"It was a more evolved response than the one I was intending when she showed up in your home in the early morning hours," Logan bristled in his own defense, his smile fading. "What would you have preferred I do with her trying to seduce you?"

"I could've handled it," Scott folded his arms in front of his chest impatiently.

"It shows," Logan stood up straighter. Turning around he walked over to the stove and turned on a burner. He leaned down to light his cigar before taking a hearty puff of it. "Does it really matter how it played out? She's gone and that's what matters."

"She works with me and she's going to tell everyone about this," Scott scowled back at him.

"So let her," Logan shrugged his shoulders simply, "we have nothing to hide."

"Even so I don't like my personal life being a part of my work life," Scott snapped shaking his head over Logan's actions, "You have no idea how hard I've worked to keep myself distanced from the office gossips and…"

"So much so you have the office tramp showing up at all hours to service you when no one is paying attention?" Logan remarked jealously.

"You know I never slept with her Logan," Scott frowned with another roll of his eyes, "I already told you that…"

"Not from her lack of trying clearly," Logan stiffened at the idea of the life Scott had without him.

"If I'd wanted to, I would have, but I didn't. I had no interest in being with her or anyone else for that matter, which again you already know," Scott's voice raised with anger. "I've been trying to fit in and blend, which is something someone like me needs to do now that I have a huge target on my back and nothing to fight it off with. If anyone I battled in the past had any clue that I was here helpless…"

"You aren't helpless," Logan reiterated thinking about their earlier discussion.

"You have no idea what Jean did to me Logan," Scott argued, his voice raising in frustration. "You don't know what it's been like. I've had to climb up from the bottom and all of this, while it never made me happy, it kept me from the realization that this is all that's left."

"Scott," Logan sighed.

"Save it," Scott turned his attention to the broken glass on the floor. Reaching for a broom and a dustpan he started to sweep it up, "maybe she'll report back to my boss and they'll prove to be under that same mob mentality that corporate America has about homosexuality. Maybe I'll be out of a job before she can let everyone know about us."

"Scott, that's not what I was trying to do," Logan explained sensing a shift in Scott's mood "I was just…"

"Doing what you do I know," Scott threw his arms up in the air, "because you can't do anything halfway, can you Logan?"

"There was a time when you were saying you didn't want me to," Logan noted reeling from Scott's tone and the scent of anger that surrounded the both of them.

"Look I…" Scott attempted to explain himself, but found himself at a loss, "I'm just tired and hurting and confused."

"About us?" Logan questioned almost afraid to hear the answer.

"No about me. About where it is that I belong," Scott raised the dustpan to discard the glass he'd swept up. He poured it out into the trash can with a clanging sound before looking to Logan again, "I'm just confused about what the purpose I still have in the world around me."

"I didn't mean to complicate things for you," Logan conceded lowering his head shamefully.

"You didn't," Scott finally sighed. Bringing his fingers through his hair, Scott realized that fighting with Logan wasn't at all what he was wanting to do. He'd been caught off guard by Wendy's intrusion in his home and it had caused him to spiral out of control with one negative thought after another, "Look I'm just an asshole, alright?"

"Scott…" Logan opened his mouth to say something more.

"I just wasn't prepared for her doing what she did or having you come out here letting it all hang out," Scott explained with an exhausted breath, "I mean it was bad enough that she was ready to tear me to pieces and jump me, but then to see you naked and…"

"And what?" Logan gave him another long look.

"I just didn't like it," Scott shifted on his feet uncomfortably.

"Wait a second," Logan eyed him suspiciously, "are you trying to tell me you were jealous that she saw me…?"

"Yeah," Scott bit down on his lower lip nervously, "I mean why wouldn't I be? You and I were together having a moment and then she arrived. Things sort of took a turn downhill and when she saw you…"

"You really were upset by this," Logan fought to mask his amusement, "She was trying to bust a move on you, yet you're more so upset over her seeing my…"

"I should be the only one," Scott decided with a small pout, "especially considering that you're the only one I want to see me like that."

"Like this," Logan stood up taller, showcasing his body shamelessly for Scott's ravenous blue eyes.

"Exactly like that," Scott reached out to him, coaxing Logan to kiss him eagerly. Wrapping his arms around Logan's shoulders, Scott continued to reveal his thoughts, "I don't want to imagine anyone else enjoying this part of you when it should be reserved for us."

"I can live with that," Logan decided curling his thick, muscular arms around Scott's waist. Pulling Scott up off of the ground onto the tips of his toes, Logan couldn't help, but growl hungrily, "only if the same holds true for you."

"Deal," Scott kissed him again. It didn't take long for Scott's mood to lighten, returning to the same playful nature that they had engaged in before.

"I'm really sorry about your job. If they fire you because of this," Logan mouthed in between kisses.

"Then I suppose I'll have more time for us," Scott decided pressing Logan back into the counter once again.

"I can live with that too," Logan decided wrapping Scott up in his arms completely now that they were finally able to share some quiet time with one another without Wendy or anyone else intruding upon the moment.


	6. Chapter 6

Author's note: Thanks for the wonderful feedback so far! This is my first slash fic, so it's much appreciated!

XXXXX

Logan twisted beneath the silken sheets, appreciating the soft contrast against his bare skin now that sunlight filtered in through the oversized windows of Scott's secluded bedroom. It faced the backyard, giving way to a breathtaking view, but more so it was filled with the scent of bacon and flowers awakening Logan's senses. His eyes opened, groggy at first, but when he turned onto his side reaching out to where Summers had been beside him the night before, he found himself alone much to his dismay. Still remembering the scent of bacon in the air, Logan sat up straighter wondering if Scott had decided to get a jump start on the morning after their chaotic night. Sliding out from beneath the sheet Logan kicked his feet to the floor and brought his hands up through his dark hair. He scratched his head lightly before standing up and stretching.

"Good morning," he mouthed to the world beyond the wall of windows in the bedroom. Despite his usual sour demeanor he was feeling at ease, which was foreign in itself for a man who had lost so many years of his life. Still with the taste of Scott still lingering upon his lips from the night before, Logan slipped into a pair of gray sweat pants and found his way downstairs to the oversized kitchen ready to share the morning with Scott.

"You'd better have saved some of that for me Summers," Logan growled feeling a rumble in his abdomen when the hearty aromas of the morning meal awakened his senses completely. He stepped into the room, hoping to catch Scott standing near the stove with that ridiculous blue apron Logan had noticed the night before. Then again the very idea of Scott in nothing was also a very welcome notion.

Unfortunately for Logan the kitchen was empty except for the single red rose on the counter with a folded piece of paper beside it. Moving forward Logan eyed the paper curiously, unable to ignore the overwhelming aromas still present in the kitchen. He stopped mid-movement turning towards the microwave. Pushing the button to open it, Logan discovered an oversized platter of bacon, sausage and more awaiting his attention. He pulled it out with one hand, tucking it under his arm before reaching for the paper Scott had scribbled on.

"Getting in a workout," Logan read aloud in between chomping on a piece of sausage, "Meet me in the gym after you're finished with breakfast."

"The gym," Logan repeated realizing there was still a great deal of places within the house that he hadn't paid attention to in his arrival. He and Scott hadn't wasted any time with one another in exploring the bedroom, but beyond that and the kitchen, there was still plenty of places for Logan to discover. The more the thought consumed Logan, the greater his curiosity was to see how Scott had been living in their time apart.

"We'll just take a little tour," Logan spoke to the plate in his arms. He turned to walk out of the kitchen, stopping only to pull the half gallon out of orange juice out of the refrigerator to take with him. Once he was armed with his meal, he headed out into the west wing of the house preparing to find Scott. Granted he could've easily gone on scent alone, but there was something more to learning about Scott's double life.

"_I've had to climb up from the bottom and all of this, while it never made me happy, it kept me from the realization that this is all that's left."_

Scott's words echoed in Logan's mind pulling him from the contentment to the sadness he'd felt in Scott's moment of despair. While Logan's life had changed dramatically after losing Scott, Logan had kept busy doing what was expected of him at the school. It was something to keep him from facing the reality that he'd never be able to find peace in a world without Scott. That had been killer when every day Logan was met with the reminder of Scott in the halls. When Logan had passed Scott's classroom, Logan would reflect upon the times they'd shared a stolen kiss or two with one another. In his bed Logan had thought back to the first time he'd made love to Summers in the height of their misery. It was the first time that Logan could remember actually having wanted to put someone else first in his life. It was the first time sex felt like it had meaning, yet with Scott out of his life Logan knew he couldn't stay at the school any longer. Storm had begged him to stay on, helping her run things, but it wasn't his scene. He needed to drift down a lonely road. It was what he'd been meant for. With his everything he'd truly believed that until that fateful evening Scott's motorcycle he'd been using broke down in Ohio.

"_Damn it," Logan cursed making his way into the bar across from the gas station he'd wound up in. He'd wanted to get the hell out of town as soon as possible, maybe even get up to Canada for a while to clear his head. The search for his past entered his mind, but more so escape had consumed him. It had been the one thing he couldn't truly achieve in his life once he'd lost Scott. Yes, maybe it went against everything he'd believed in, but deep down he knew that coming to the school had been no accident. In finding Scott he'd found his life mate and that unsettling thought would constantly consume him, rendering him broken. _

_Sulking at the realization, Logan pushed his way through the smoky bar realizing that no one would truly know how to appreciate the power of a good stiff drink and a cigar in these surroundings. With the casual drinkers with their fruity drinks over near the front of the bar, Logan headed straight to the back preparing to bury himself in a few beers or something stronger before returning to the auto parts place in the morning to get what was needed to repair the bike. Once he did that, then everything else be damned. He would be on his way out of his misery-or at the very least alone enough to sulk in solitude. Raising his hand up to flag the bartender Logan ordered his beer and turned his attention to the television set overhead. It was a ballgame. Nothing of real interest Logan realized when he'd started drinking his beer. He'd been long past bored and when he ordered another, he was hoping that perhaps getting drunk would liven up the place._

"_Oh please, you're a whiz at what you do," he heard a woman's voice cackle with delight when the whoosh of the door opened to the bar. He did all he could to keep from cringing at the sound of her high pinched wail, but it was the sound that followed that aroused his senses completely._

"_What can I say?" a male voice beamed with laughter, "When you're good, you're good." _

"_And you're the best," the woman cheered him on before saying something else. Her words were lost on Logan, but it was the scent that carried in the air that had truly awakened his senses._

"_Scott," a voice in his mind triggered thoughts to return to the man he was drinking to forget losing. In an instant familiarity and lust coiled through Logan's body, generating an immediate response to the past._

"_Mine," an inner voice had called out to Logan, claiming ownership on Scott all over again, but it couldn't be. He couldn't be there when…_

_Logan sat up straighter, turning around on the bar stool when he spotted the group taking a table over by the far corner opposite of where he was. There were about half a dozen people laughing and gossiping, but only one held his interest. Logan stood up, knowing it was foolish to believe in something that could no longer be, but as he weaved his way through the crowd, getting closer to the table, he had to know._

"_So there I was telling Rick that if you're going to try to find a way to cut costs you can start by ending the overseas trips on company time with his mistress," the familiar voice explained with a hint of laughter._

"_How did that go?" a woman with the group asked._

"_Not good, but when his wife stopped by the office he quickly changed his tune," he confessed sheepishly, his face hidden to Logan, but as Logan's eyes settled in on the streamlined shoulders, to the dark hair he'd tangled within his fingers time and time again, Logan knew it had to be true. "Turned out to be one of the best client meetings in a long time."_

"_I can't believe you did that," another woman at the table gasped, her amusement twinkling behind her eyes._

"_I even got a raise out of it given that things went so well after a glowing recommendation from Rick, which I'm sure is incentive to keep quiet," he joked lightly before rising to his feet, "so tonight drinks are on me." _

"_I won't argue that," another man at the table agreed heartily as Logan ducked behind one of the pillars in the bar._

"_Be right back," he promised turning around as Logan stole a first glance at the face he never thought he'd see again. It was then that Logan realized everything he knew about life was no longer the same. He'd stood there watching, waiting, wondering if Scott had any idea that Logan was there, but when it was clear Scott was lost in his random conversations, Logan ducked out into the night knowing he should just walk away, but his fear had prevented him from doing so. Selfishly his hunger for what he once had guided him back into town opting to find a way to reach out to Scott all over again._

Now standing in the hallway of Scott's new home, Logan couldn't help, but wonder what life would've been like if Logan hadn't stopped off in that bar. If that bike hadn't broken down, would he still be searching? Still be wandering alone in the world thinking that the love of his life had died? It was too much to endure in his thoughts, so instead he stepped into a darkened room curious about what treasures Scott kept hidden in his museum of a house. Walking into the darkness, Logan reached out to the wall beside him. Immediately he felt a light switch beneath his finger. He turned it on and found himself surprisingly surrounded by a wall of swords and suits of armor showcased in glass display cases before him. Curiously Logan stepped forward and looked to the rounded display case before him. Inside the case nearest to Logan was a leather suit much like the one Scott had worn during his time with X-Men, but it was modified, something more to it that Logan couldn't quite place. Beyond it was another a glass encased military uniform, followed by a medieval looking battle suit.

"I'm sleeping with Batman," Logan mouthed under his breath sarcastically, walking around and paying special attention to the various types of weapons Scott had arranged on the walls of the oversized room. Logan reached for one of the knives that lay on top of a display case.

"As flattering as that might be I'd like to think of myself more so as a Superman type," Scott mouthed causing Logan to stiffen with surprise at being caught snooping. While Logan's senses were usually dead on in reading he wasn't alone, Scott's house was filled with Scott's lingering scent around every corner. It consumed Logan so much that he'd attempted to ignore the sensation it carried over him if only for a few minutes of invading Scott's privacy.

"You're too hot to be Superman," Logan decided with a hint of a smirk building over his features, "Besides I'd like to think of you more so as the sexy, mysterious guy who comes off as being straightforward, but behind closed doors he has another darker agenda."

"Superman is mysterious with the double life going," Scott curled his lip in protest.

"Yes, but Superman wouldn't dream of letting go of his inhibitions and enjoying the things that you and I have been doing with one another," Logan wiggled his brow suggestively, "especially when…"

"In that respect I did always have one up on the guy. I've always had incredible taste," Scott decided feeling a heat rise in his features at the way Logan was watching him.

"That you did," Logan mused tipping his head over his shoulder to give Scott a long once over, "you still do."

"All joking aside we both know that I'm a far cry from what I once was," Scott sighed nodding towards the row of display cases before him.

"That doesn't make you any less remarkable," Logan added catching a hint of disappointment in Scott's voice.

"I couldn't bring myself to let it go completely," Scott divulged stepping into the room and watching Logan's new curiosity in their surroundings. "It's a far cry from the resources at the school, but I'm proud of my collection."

"I'll say," Logan turned around to face Scott with a newfound curiosity, "I didn't realize you were so curious about all of this. Granted I knew you were big on martial arts, but this…it's impressive."

"I've been researching a lot of history and theology since things changed," Scott nodded to the knife in Logan's hand, "That was from the Ming Dynasty. I recently acquired that from a private collector and…"

"You were ripped off," Logan tossed the knife over his shoulder back onto the display case again, "it's fake."

"It's not fake," Scott curled his lip in protest. Marching over to set the knife right in it's holder he huffed.

"Trust me it's a fake," Logan didn't bother to look back at Scott, "not that the person didn't put in a good effort in trying to make it appear authenticated."

"No matter," Scott wrinkled his nose in protest, "as you can see this room is filled with things from all over the world in various time periods."

"I can see that," Logan circled around the room, bringing himself to face Scott again. "Looks very time consuming."

"It's a hobby," Scott shifted on his feet nervously avoiding Logan's eyes in the process.

"A hobby or an obsession?" Logan questioned reaching for one of the books on Buddhism from the shelves beside where he was standing.

"It's a hobby," Scott stepped forward pulling the book from Logan's hand. "I have a lot of time on my hands now that I'm not out there saving the world."

"That hasn't stopped you from trying to find a way to reverse things, has it?" Logan eyed Scott expectantly, already knowing the answer to his question. "You're still seeking out an answer."

"Wouldn't you if you were in my position?" Scott challenged meeting Logan's eyes.

"Sure," Logan shrugged simply. "Absolutely."

"It doesn't matter. It won't change," Scott twisted at the tiny white towel that hung around his neck, a sudden reminder of the workout he'd just experienced.

"Scott," Logan opened his mouth to offer some words of comfort, but found himself at a loss in knowing he couldn't change Scott's situation.

"Save it," Scott decided with a shake of his head, "It's not worth getting into. How was breakfast?"

"Breakfast was fine. Pretty damn good actually. You're one hell of a cook Summers," Logan noted approvingly.

"One of the few talents I've been able to perfect in being out here," Scott boasted enthusiastically twisting the towel around his shoulders once again. The movement caused Logan's gaze to drop over the navy colored sweat suit Scott was wearing. In an instant Logan could take in the aroma of sweat and aftershave on Scott's skin and suddenly the thought of engaging in a physical wrestling match with Scott never proved to be more delicious. As if reading Logan's thoughts Scott spoke up in a dismissive tone.

"Up for a little sparring? I'm still revved from the workout," Scott nodded to the door he'd entered through moments earlier.

"Are you sure you want to challenge me?" Logan couldn't help but tease, a spark of mischief gleaming behind his eyes.

"As I said last night," Scott stood up taller and puffed out his chest, "I'm not helpless."

"I never thought you were," Logan conceded giving Scott a long once over before smiling. "Lead the way."

"With pleasure," Scott smirked walking out into the hallway and preparing to show Logan a thing or two about what he still had to work with.

Within a few minutes Logan and Scott settled into the gym Scott had set up in his home. Although it was smaller than the places they'd sparred in the past when they were at the school, it was every bit as impressive with a boxing ring and various equipment served to keep Scott on his toes. When Logan had noted the other night that Scott had been working out, he hadn't anticipated everything that lay out before him, but now, well, Logan was impressed.

"You paid for all of this with your savings?" Logan couldn't help, but ask watching Scott make his way into the boxing ring.

"The previous owner of the house was also educated in martial arts and boxing," Scott explained climbing up onto the ropes before Logan, "He dabbled in it professionally in his younger years, so when I moved in I just tweaked a few upgrades."

"I'll say," Logan moved in closer to the ring. "It's very impressive."

"I know," Scott boasted moving into a defensive stance before Logan. He pulled his fists up into the air curling one in a twist of his fingers that indicated he wanted Logan to bring on an attack.

"You know I said that we'd do this, but really I was just curious to see the gym and…" Logan felt a sudden uneasiness when his focus returned to the bandage on Scott's hand. Remembering that Scott wasn't the same Cyclops that he'd tossed around in the gym time and time again, Logan was filled with the notion that sparring was not a good idea. Scott might've been training, but without his mutation there was no telling what could happen in a moment when…

"Chicken?" Scott rushed forward jabbing Logan in the ribs. "Afraid I can still kick your ass?"

"Cute," Logan folded his arms in front of his chest and offered up a small smirk, "you could never kick my ass."

"Of course I could," Scott stood up taller, puffing out his chest and meeting Logan's eyes with a challenge, "and I still can."

"Really Scott you don't have to…" Logan opened his mouth in protest only to feel Scott land another fist into his abdomen. Logan remained unbroken in his stance, "Why don't we just go back to the kitchen and…?"

"Fight me," Scott jabbed him again, "Come on. Give it a try and fight me."

"No, Scott I'm not going to…," Logan argued only to feel Scott throw a fist into the side of his face. That time it made an impact. Even with the adamantium in his bones, it caused a ripple to run through him. He attempted to shake it off before sighing, "I don't want to fight you Scott."

"Come on Logan," Scott lunged forward again, this time kicking his leg in behind Logan's knee and catching Logan off guard. The movement caused Logan to buckle forward with surprise onto the ground. Amused Scott wiggled his brow suggestively, "you can't be that afraid to fight me."

"Don't push me," Logan warned sharply, finding himself increasingly agitated with Scott's sudden need to prove himself in a fight. Frowning Logan attempted to pull himself up again, but Scott kicked out making a movement towards Logan's abdomen. Snarling Logan reached out, seizing Scott's leg and taking him down in a flash onto the floor beside him, "That's enough."

"I haven't even began," Scott slid up to his knees, pushing forward to rush at Logan.

"Don't make me do this Scott," Logan rolled on the floor, spinning around in just enough time to avoid being tackled by Scott. While the notion had sounded wildly erotic earlier there was something behind Scott's need to prove himself that bothered Logan. He was a man possessed by something Logan couldn't quite read and the longer Logan indulged it, the harder he feared it would be to step aside so readily.

"Fight me!" Scott commanded chasing after Logan. He swung his fist wildly in the air, bringing it crashing down in front of Logan's face.

"No!" Logan shouted seizing Scott's wrist and flinging him down to the floor of the ring. The movement was harder than Logan had intended, but when Logan witnessed Scott bounce on the ground, he wish he'd carried more restraint. Scott rolled and crashed into the side post with a thud, much harder than Logan had intended, but it did nothing to deter Scott in his actions.

"That's what I'm talking about," Scott snarled springing up onto his knees with determination creasing his brow. His blue eyes met Logan's in a challenge, now more determined then ever to call Logan out for a fight.

"Summers you don't want this," Logan warned sharply, his primal instinct sensing Scott's pent up aggression clearly brought on by being stripped of his powers. It was there in the air between them, hovering over them until finally Scott shot forward with another intended strike. This time Logan didn't sit idle. He brought his hand up in the air, seizing Scott by his chest and raising him up over his head.

"You son of a…" Scott kicked and punched into Logan's chest and back, causing enough discomfort for Logan to set Scott down on the ground again. Scott's blue eyes were clouded with fury, with rage over a life he could no longer claim as his own and when Logan felt Scott's fist impact with his jaw, Logan let loose of his concerns. Returning the punch, Logan sent Scott flying back into the post again with a growl.

"You're going to wish you didn't do that," Logan announced charging towards Scott with a primitive need to attack.

Before long the two men were sparring with one another, back to their old habits as Scott proved that he was twice as fast as he'd been before. His strength hadn't been up to the level it once was, but what he lacked in that department he more than made up in speed and agility. Logan was suddenly very impressed with his lover's lightweight movements when things grew more intensely physical between them. Still Logan knew Scott was no match for him once Logan seized Scott in his arms. Tumbling Summers down into the ring again, Logan hovered over him capturing Scott fully in his hold.

"Had enough?" Logan questioned with sweat on his brow, his senses heightened with the press of Scott's pulsating body beneath him.

"Never," Scott hissed in between labored breaths, his chest rising and falling defiantly. His arm flew up from the ground attempting to strike the side of Logan's face in a fist, but Logan blocked the movement. He yanked Scott's arm up over his head, twisting and tightening it until Scott was stretched out on the ground beneath him, pinned in an impossible position beneath Logan. It was then that Logan's senses alerted him to Scott's desire. It had always been there in the background when they'd fought like this in the past, intermingling with the testosterone that had guided Scott's sparring with him. Now it surged over Scott's body in a deliciously intoxicating combination of lust and perspiration.

"Wrong answer," Logan ground into Scott's body, hearing Scott release a pained cry of a breath when Logan stretched Scott's arms up higher, pulling the upper half of Scott's body up off of the floor with the movement. "I'm not going to fight you."

"If you won't let loose in fighting me, then fuck me," Scott ordered with a snarl, catching Logan off guard with his request. Logan's nostrils burned with the raw heat of Scott's body beneath his. Logan's mind consumed him with the excruciatingly arousing thought of tearing Scott to pieces in an instant now that they'd both achieved a heightened state of arousal with one another. Still Logan hesitated prompting Scott to taunt him further. "Still afraid of giving in to the impulses Logan? Frightened by how much you'd enjoy losing complete control?"

"No," Logan answered turning his attention to Scott's lips.

"Then stop analyzing what think you should do and give in to what you want to do without limitations." Scott challenged, his blue eyes daunting and desperate in their return to the conversation they'd started the night before.

Logan remained silent, mesmerized by the abrasive tone in Scott's voice. It was a far cry from the meek and mild man Logan had taken great liberty in seducing in the past, yet it was a welcome change. Without his mutation Scott seemed to have regained a sense of confidence, a cocky demeanor that served him well when he was trying to drive Logan past the limit. It was a deliberate push, but with Scott's urgent pleading, Logan couldn't help but find himself falling into the trap. Seeing Scott's lips part, mouth waiting and ready for a kiss, Logan realized logic be damned. This time the animalistic hunger took control.

"That's what you were always telling me to do, wasn't it?" Scott hissed suggestively, his words biting and daunting in their delivery catching Logan's thoughts and twisting them to return to his primitive instincts.

Logan had wanted to be prove to himself that he could be rational, that he could be restrained when he was with Scott, but now with Scott's heart pounding beneath him, his body burning Logan alive with temptation, Logan realized Scott's reasoning for sparring with him had nothing to do with proving his strength, but rather everything to do with Logan letting go of the inhibitions he'd been carrying around since he'd sliced through Scott's hand. It was punishment for the stubbornness that had kept Logan from being with Scott the previous evening without restraints to mute his reactions. Knowing that motivation from Scott prompted Logan to want to refuse, to want to be the sensible one, but with Summers beneath him panting and begging for a release Logan knew he'd lost this battle of conscience.

"Son of a bitch," Logan cursed under his breath bringing one hand over the front of Scott's sweatshirt. He bunched it up in his fingers, twisting and wrapping the material in his palm. Wrenching it tighter, he jerked Scott up off of the ground their mouths a fraction of an inch from one another. The beginnings of a smirk curled over the corners of Scott's lips, his nostrils flaring with silent arrogance in knowing that he'd beaten Logan in a battle of wits. Logan squeezed Scott's sweatshirt tighter, twisting at the neck tightly until finally he released it sending Scott back into the floor of the boxing ring again with a distinct shove. For a moment they both lay against each other in silence, both anticipating their next move, but when Scott arched upward preparing to collect a victorious kiss from Logan things changed.

"I don't think so Summers," Logan hooked his arm roughly around Scott's waist. A second later, Logan forcefully twisted Scott in his arms, rolling Scott over onto his stomach in an explosive rush of movement. Scott attempted to wiggle out beneath Logan, using his hands to push up off of the floor in a futile attempt to fight back on Logan's strength. Logan roared once more slamming Scott down into the ground, face buried in the ring when Logan reached for Scott's hips, pulling them up in closer to him possessively.

Rising up on his knees, Logan seized Scott's thighs drawing them back against Logan's growing erection. A small hiss escaped from Scott's pinched lips when Logan's palm flattened out over Scott's back, fingers exploring the erotic curve of Scott's spine. Logan guided his fingers down to the small of Scott's back, sliding over his rounded bottom, coaxing Scott's thighs apart enough to accommodate Logan grinding up against Scott in a controlled fashion. Scott bit down on his lip attempting to stifle the involuntary sound that rose in the back of his throat. Lust spiraled out into the room surrounding them, intoxicating Logan's senses until finally Logan let out a long breath of agony in releasing his claws. Instinctively they tore violently at Scott's sweatshirt, ripping the fabric in half to reveal Scott's damp skin burning beneath the surface. Scott shifted on the floor attempting to move closer to Logan, to grind back into Logan with a longing and desperation unlike any other he'd known. Still Logan wasn't about to let Scott push his buttons. Summers was finished calling the shots now that Logan's mind was contemplating all the ways he'd enjoy tearing Scott to pieces. Scott would want to argue, but Logan would do things his way now that his hands cupped Scott's hips stilling his movements.

"Patience," Logan urged on, catching Scott's pulse bouncing with the word. It was enough to make Logan wonder what he'd been so damned uncertain about the night before. Scott was willing, ready and eager to have Logan in all that he was without fear. Wild and uninhibited only served as a thrill for Scott, something that most would've turned away from in the past. Scott was daring Logan to lose control, to reveal his true nature without limitations. Knowing it could end poorly especially after the other night's disaster would've been motivation enough to turn a lover away, but Scott braved the challenge, living on the edge in the hopes of pulling Logan out from the silent loathing he'd been consumed by with his guilt. This was for Logan, not Scott. This was what Logan needed and Scott had realized it much before Logan had. It was the ultimate turn on as Logan hooked his fingers underneath the waistband of Scott's sweatpants, determined to keep things from going too far too fast. He pushed the material down to the ground at Scott's knees before he leaned forward to bite down on Scott's bare shoulder.

"Remember this was what you wanted," Logan mouthed heatedly, his teeth grazing Scott's neck, clamping down into the skin and breaking the surface. Lips, tongue and teeth traced over Scott's body, relearning everything there was to know about the lover Logan had reconnected with all over again. Scott whimpered, shifted and began to coil with lust when Logan's fingers wrapped around Scott's growing manhood stroking it at a controlled, steady pace despite the overwhelming need to bury himself in Scott again and again. Scott's body flexed contracting and loosening against Logan's magic fingers, growing harder and ready for Logan. Scott threw his head forward, dropping it down with a breath when Logan pushed his own pants down, knowing full well that Scott had goaded him into this, but it didn't matter.

"Do it Logan," Scott ordered, his voice firm and commanding when Logan seized his hips again in a possessive tug.

In an instant Logan was inside of Scott, frantic and thrusting violently into his body again and again with a primal roar. It was damn near enough to take Logan over the edge when Scott began to twist and thrash about over his length, accepting thrust after pounding thrust. The intensity built, the concentration slipping from Logan's mind when he touched Scott. Closing his eyes he thought about all the things that he'd sworn he'd never do again. Hurting Scott had been at the top of the list and in doing that he'd vowed not to give into desire without caution. It was something Logan had decided not to return to, yet with Scott writhing and grinding back into him accepting Logan fully, he knew he'd failed in keeping that promise to himself. Now buried inside of Scott, sending him forward into the ground again and again with vicious movements Logan had lost control. His heart pounded, mind flooded with thoughts of sex, release, Scott and nothing more. Hearing Summers cry out encouragingly, Logan couldn't help, but speed up his movements wanting to explode with Summers when he lost control. Together they could find freedom in ways that they hadn't with anyone else. Reaching around to continue working Scott with his fingers, Logan felt Scott start to twitch and convulse beneath him, stiffening in a loud, unyielding release.

"Damn it," Logan cursed under his breath, feeling the beginnings of his own climax. He released Scott, driving harder and faster until finally he lost control, dropping his hands down into the floor of the boxing ring with a roar. Tipping his head back Logan allowed himself to crash over the edge, spilling himself into Scott in a final, desperate, fleeting moment of bliss. He closed his eyes feeling his claws extending, burying into the floor of the boxing ring, but before fear could overtake him, he heard Scott's words reach into his head, reminding him that things were just fine.

"I love you," Scott breathed, face buried in the ground, body spent with exhaustion, heart still pounding in the aftermath of their passionate display when Logan dropped over him, covering him with his body, "I know I'm safe with you."

Closing his eyes, Logan let out a breath he hadn't been aware he'd been holding, his world slowly returning to the moment with Scott. His claws slowly eased back into his body, senses returning him to the warmth of Scott beneath him. Logan wrapped Scott up in his arms, rolling Scott into his chest in a possessive, protective movement. Logan closed his eyes feeling Scott snuggle in over Logan's chest in a tender display of affection.

"I always feel safe with you. That won't ever change," Scott murmured running his fingers over Logan's chest in a subtle, soothing brush.

"I know you do," Logan mouthed in response knowing only too well that being with Scott was the only time Logan had truly felt free. It was beyond his comprehension as to why that was, but with Scott in his arms, he knew full well that there were no underlying doubts where Scott was concerned. Scott trusted Logan implicitly and in his own way he'd done his best to bring Logan to trusting himself all over again. Kissing the top of Scott's head, Logan couldn't help but stroke his damp dark hair tenderly, "I feel safe with you too Summers. For the first time in my life I know that I'm truly home."


	7. Chapter 7

Monday morning. Those were two words Scott had truly dreaded when he'd heard the alarm go off beside the bed. While he'd hoped to forget about the real world for a while after he and Logan had reconnected, there was something about knowing what was expected of him that had prompted Scott out of bed into the shower. Logan was still asleep when Scott had gotten ready for work, which was undoubtedly for the best given that their weekend together had proven to be far more exhausting then either had anticipated. Although there was still so much for them to explore with one another, Scott realized that they would take it one day at a time. That was the beauty of having all the time in the world to make up for what they'd lost.

"And make up for it we will," Logan had promised offering to allow Scott a night to plan indulging his perfect fantasy for them together. At first Scott had thought that Logan was trying to placate him, but the more Logan discussed Scott's plans for their new love making experience, the more Scott found himself eagerly looking forward to making the experience memorable for them. Hell, it was enough for Scott to ponder the night together as Scott forced himself to go back to the office. He'd left Logan a note and some breakfast before taking the journey into the one place Scott was certain he no longer wanted to be.

"Morning Summers," one of his coworkers greeted him with a smile.

"Morning," Scott nodded quietly making his way to his office in the hopes of avoiding any embarrassing small talk with any of his co-workers after his encounter with Wendy. Unfortunately things were going to hit a snag, he realized when he spotted Wendy standing outside of his office door looking rather forlorn.

"Can we talk?" she asked quietly, her brown eyes searching his through the fluorescent light overhead.

"I actually have to get ready for a meeting with your father," Scott cleared his throat knowing only too well that had Wendy met with his boss and told him the truth of what had taken place, then Scott would undoubtedly be out of a job. Then again he'd already anticipated as much when he'd left the house. Flirting with the daughter of the CEO had been a mistake especially when Scott didn't mean it. He knew that Wendy seemed like she had an interest and while he hadn't gone out of his way to encourage it, he hadn't discouraged it as much as he should have either. Knowing that Scott felt an uneasiness build in the pit of his stomach. He cleared his throat and attempted to meet Wendy's eyes again.

"I didn't tell him if that's what you're worried about," she spoke up with a gulp. "He doesn't know that you…well…he doesn't realize that you're…I mean it's none of his business…"

"No, it's not," Scott nodded in agreement.

"It's not mine either," Wendy offered up a halfhearted smile, her eyes still weary and disappointed, "I mean this Logan guy…he's a little rough around the edges, isn't he?"

"He's a bit blunt in his approach at times," Scott admitted thinking about the man he loved, "If you get to know him, you'll see there's a lot more to the picture then a first glance."

"I'll take your word for it," she grumbled under her breath. Catching the way Scott glared at her, she cleared her throat and spoke up again, "I mean what I'm trying to say is, well, I'm sorry. That was very presumptuous of me to show up at your place like that and…"

"It's already forgotten," Scott lied, doing his best to paint on a fake smile. Being polite was what was expected and in doing so it would make life run more smoothly.

"No it's not, but hopefully one day you and I can be able to spend time together again without you worrying about me ripping my clothes off," Wendy tucked a piece of her long, dark hair behind her ear nervously. "That was pretty stupid of me."

"Hey, if the right guy comes around I'm certain he'll eat it up," Scott attempted to keep things light between them, "I mean most men would be very excited about something like that."

"Yeah, well I have a knack for falling for the wrong ones who are either taken or…" her words tapered off, "well taken…"

"You'll meet the right guy one day and when you do, he's going to make you forget you ever thought I was worth a second glance," Scott mouthed with a genuine smile. He felt her ease returning as she raised her head up to smile at him as well.

"God I hope so because you have no idea how hard it is being out there and meeting all the wrong people," she announced with a hint of a groan in her voice, "I mean it's like one thing after another and I'm starting to think I'll never find him."

"You'll find him when you least expect it," Scott promised reaching out to give her an embrace, "Trust me."

"You make it sound so easy," she returned the hug, squeezing her arms around him tightly.

"I never said it would be easy, but it'll be worthwhile," Scott added releasing her with a small nod.

"I sure hope so," she nodded taking a step back and placing a distance between them, "Well, I should probably get going…"

"Yeah, I um…I have to meet with your father and…" Scott cleared his throat and shifted on his feet.

"Don't let him give you hell," Wendy suggested giving him a long once over before turning away. She started to walk off leaving Scott a few moments to enter his office and pull himself together. He unlocked the door when he heard her call out to him once again, "And Scott?"

"Yes?" he glanced over his shoulder.

"Make sure this Logan guy treats you right or else I'll have to claw his eyes out," Wendy mouthed in a mocking tone, her eyes sparking with mischief.

"I don't think that's going to be a problem," Scott assured her, stepping into his office preparing to begin the day anew.

xxxx

"Excuse me," a voice called out to Wendy once she'd entered the lounge area after her discussion with Scott. While Wendy had plenty of other things she'd hoped to say, she had caved offering up a weak, politically correct response to the disappointment she'd felt in discovering that she and Scott could never be together. It had haunted her from the moment she'd seen Logan at his place and now, well now all she wanted to do was drown her sorrows in chocolate and a good, indulgent coffee. However, her quest would be put on hold when she spotted a tall, slender blonde standing before her with a curious expression.

"Yes?" Wendy questioned watching the woman closely and wondering if she was a temp.

"I was wondering if you could help me," the woman stated plainly, "You see I'm looking for…"

"Human resources is two floors down and if you check in with them, they should be able to sort you out," Wendy turned her back to the woman and reached for the coffee pot.

"I wasn't actually looking for human resources," the blonde explained impatiently, "as I was here to talk with you specifically."

"Me?" Wendy spun around on her heel. "Why?"

"I couldn't help, but notice the exchange you had with Scott Summers," the woman entered the room with a cool, breezy confidence in her movement, "and I was hoping you wouldn't mind if we had a little girl chat with one another."

"You know Scott?" Wendy's eyes widened with surprise.

"For a while," the blonde nodded quickly.

"Then you're aware of the fact that he's off limits," Wendy couldn't help, but roll her eyes, "although if you didn't know it before you'll see it now with that dreadful Logan guy he's dating. I mean really, sometimes you can see it, but other times you can never tell…"

"No I suppose you can't," the blonde purred with delight knowing full well that even though Wendy was an insipid, foolish woman with a fountain of free information, Wendy's loss would truly be her gain now that she was certain she'd found the right person to give her everything she needed to move in for the kill once and for all.

xxxx

Logan yawned uncontrollably having found that Scott's home was increasingly boring without Scott in it. At first Logan had opted to find a way to enjoy his time alone, hoping to welcome the solitude after he'd settled in for the breakfast Scott had prepared for him, but it wasn't at all relaxing. First he'd gone into the gym hoping to get a workout in, but he'd been damn distracted by the boxing ring given that the scent of sex still lingered in the air after his night with Scott. Then he'd gone into the weapons room hoping to get a grasp on what Scott had been obsessing over. He'd opted to check out some of the books Scott had been trying to read up on, but Logan had managed to knock over a vase without realizing it. Unfortunately unlike the knife Logan had taunted Scott about being duped on, the vase had been real, which Logan decided was not a good thing. He'd quickly scooted out of the room, making his way into the entertainment area to settle in and watch a game on television. That, however, was turning into a bore now that Logan was stretched up on the couch, feet on the coffee table, which he was certain that Summers would strongly disapprove of.

"Just as well," he decided contemplating the expression on Scott's face to see Logan stretched out, scuffing the table and puffing on his cigars in an attempt to enjoy himself. Logan chuckled to himself knowing it would fuel a debate. Scott would get irritated by Logan's blatant disregard for his property and then after, well perhaps it would spark something a little more interesting. Reaching for his cigar and pulling it from his lips, Logan smirked at the thought.

"You always look your best when you're irritated Summers," Logan decided puffing on his cigar again when he noticed a photo across the room near the television. While it had been tucked away behind one of the colorful vases Scott seemed to be fond of, there was no mistaking it. Walking over to the photo, Logan reached for the frame and realized it was a photo taken years earlier with Scott and Charles. It was from Scott's youth where the two were on a pier with one another, Scott proudly displaying an oversized fish he must've caught on their day out with one another. Seeing the photo made Logan mournful, remembering the end of the Professor. It haunted him still knowing that everything that they'd all come to expect in their lives was no more. Setting the photo down Logan decided maybe he would hit the gym after all, but before he could follow up on the notion he heard the sound of his cell phone ringing.

Stopping mid-movement, Logan couldn't help, but admit he wasn't all that fond of the thing. It never really made much sense to him with all of it's techy upgrades, but when he'd left the school he'd promised to keep it with him just in case. Of course just in case hadn't proved to happen for Logan up until this point. Everyone understood how clear Logan was on his need to leave. They hadn't liked it, but they refused to question him. Some had expressed a deeper interest in doing so, but kept quiet under some misguided notion of loyalty or even fear. That in itself had given Logan much needed space. Still in hearing the cell phone ring, Logan realized it couldn't be Scott. That meant…

With a heavy feeling in his chest Logan walked over to the counter reaching for his cell phone. He hesitated before finally answering in a neutral tone.

"What?" he questioned with a hint of gruffness in his voice.

"I see some things never change," Storm's voice groaned on the other end of the line.

"I'm not one for pleasantries or receiving phone calls when I told you that this wasn't something I wanted to use," Logan looked around Scott's entertainment room. If Storm had any idea where Logan was now at the very moment, he was certain everything would change. Everyone would be eager to seek out Scott, hoping to pull him back to the life he'd left behind, yet…

"Where are you?" Storm questioned breaking through his thoughts.

"With a friend," Logan answered cryptically.

"You don't have any friends Logan," she added with disbelief.

"I do now," Logan couldn't help, but roll his eyes, "and I have to go. We're about to settle in for tea and crumpets."

"Something horrible has happened," Storm blurted out, ignoring the blatant sarcasm in his tone. She seemed stressed, fearful as she continued to speak, "there was an attack at the school. We had a break in and…"

"Are the children…" Logan hesitated feeling a pang of worry consume him, "are they alright?"

"They're shaken," Storm explained nervously, "but no one was hurt in the attack. It's just…"

"Just what?" Logan tensed up already knowing her answer.

"We need you back here Logan. I need your help in figuring this out and…" she begged of him, her concerns rising in the moment.

"There are plenty of people there who can do more for you than I can…" Logan attempted to seek an out to her request.

"There aren't as many as there once were Logan," her voice was tired, desperate and as Logan's gaze returned to the photo of Scott and the Professor together with one another, guilt tugged at his insides. He contemplated telling her the good news about Scott, but finally resigned himself to silence, refusing to bring that upon Scott now that Scott had his own demons haunting him.

As much as it pained Logan to think about what he must do, he closed his eyes tightly and tried to find a way to come about the solution to everyone's problems, "I'll head back tomorrow."

"Thank you Logan. You have no idea how much we need you right now," Storm answered grateful for his understanding.

"Sure," Logan dropped his head somberly knowing only too well that it was the beginning of the end to the escape he and Scott had made for themselves. Life was about to change all over again.

xxxx

Scott parked his beamer in the garage knowing only too well that he was ready to unwind for a while over dinner with Logan. While he'd normally take his time in preparing something, Scott had opted to simply pick up Thai food on his way home in the hopes of giving himself a little more free time with Logan. At work Scott had thought long and hard about his plans and he couldn't wait to share them with Logan. Of course halfway home Scott realized Logan might have protests to Thai, so he'd made sure to pick up a burger and steak fries for Logan as well should he deem Thai too prissy.

"He'll love it," Scott mouthed to himself, shuffling the bags in his arms.

Walking into the house from the garage, Scott thought about his surprise for Logan. He felt himself bristling with enthusiasm, eager to share the details of their next big rendezvous, but much to his dismay the house was darkened when Scott entered. Frowning Scott made his way to the kitchen, knowing the place without the benefit of sight. It was one of the things that Scott had practiced time and time again given his past. Yes, maybe now he could see the world without blinders on or in his case a visor, but Scott had never forgotten his beginnings. He'd never gotten over that helplessness he'd been pushed into involuntarily in the past. It was what had kept him safe, what had kept him on his toes and now that he was weaving through the hallway in his home, he knew it would be the key to keeping him from ever returning to that miserable place ever again.

"Logan?" Scott questioned, his voice rumbling through the darkness. His words were met by silence, his worries expanding when it was clear Logan wasn't anywhere near the kitchen. Setting the bags down Scott reached for the light switch. It illuminated the hallway leading to the bedroom. Walking towards the light, Scott wondered if Logan was asleep, but his questions were soon answered by a faint rumble of a whisper in the great room.

"I'm in here," Logan finally answered with a dark undertone, his words sending shivers through Scott's body. Turning towards the source of the sound Scott discovered Logan seated upon the couch with a bottle of vodka in hand. He was lost in contemplation, clearly in another state of mind when Scott approached him worriedly.

"What's wrong?" Scott questioned straight to the point now that Logan's demeanor put Scott on edge.

"There was an attack at the school," Logan admitted painfully, "someone was there…"

"How-how do you know?" Scott questioned quietly, his thoughts returning to the life he left behind.

"Storm called me," Logan nodded to the phone he'd tossed onto the coffee table earlier.

"She wants you to return," Scott sensed the reasoning behind Logan's disposition.

Logan nodded, "I told her I would."

"Because she needs you," Scott deduced feeling disappointment linger over him.

"She needs us Scott," Logan raised his chin up just enough to meet Scott's concerned blue eyes, "Things haven't been the same since…"

"I can't," Scott replied guiltily, "you know as well as I do that…"

"It doesn't matter what's changed," Logan opened his mouth in a half-hearted protest "We both know what we got ourselves into when we started all of this and…"

"I can't do it," Scott frowned, shaking his head in refusal. Worry crept in over his brow, "Did you tell her that I was…?"

"No," Logan shook his head and sighed, "It wasn't my place."

"I see," Scott decided taking a seat beside Logan on the couch, "so where does that leave us?"

"I'm needed there," Logan answered quietly, "I can't pretend that I can walk away from obligation."

"You didn't have any trouble with that in the past," Scott added with a small, disapproving frown.

"You're right," Logan agreed raising his chin up to meet Scott's eyes again, "but then again that was before I met a man who taught me that anything worth having in life was worth fighting for."

"Logan," Scott opened his mouth to say something more.

"I'm not going to force your hand in this Scott, but we both know this life isn't for you," Logan looked around the dimly lit room they were seated in, "Sure, it's a good place to hide from everything, but it's not who you are. It's not what you've always dreamt about with all your ideals and hopes for saving the world around you."

"Logan don't," Scott frowned rising up off of the couch to pace around the room, "you know as well as I do that if you take me back there it's only going to make things worse."

"They've already lost so much, why lead them to believe that there still isn't hope?" Logan questioned painfully. "Why not let them see that…?"

"That their fearless leader is a washed up has been who couldn't live up to their expectations because he wasn't strong enough to fight having his very existence being ripped away from him?" Scott questioned in a pitiful wail. "Logan, I'd only serve as a reminder of all their failures."

"No," Logan rose up to step in closer to Scott, "you're a miracle. You're proof that they still exist in the world."

"Hardly," Scott argued with him, "I'm not going to be able to help them…"

"Knowing you're still alive is something that can pull them together again," Logan reached out to touch Scott's shoulder. "If you return with me…"

"I can't," Scott dropped his head remorsefully, "It's not my world any longer."

"Only because you're afraid to admit to yourself that you still belong in it with your friends, with the people who love you," Logan continued in an impassioned tone, "it's time to stop hating yourself for what happened with Jean. It wasn't your fault. None of this is."

"She did this to me because of us Logan," Scott pushed away from him, finally feeling forced to face the one thing he'd fought to own up to. "Knowing how I felt about you set her off in a downward spiral. She was angry, scorned by the fact that I loved you and…"

"No she wasn't Scott. She had something brewing inside of her for years before it came crashing down around her. What you and I felt for one another was…" Logan opened his mouth in protest.

"The final straw," Scott blurted out clenching his fists at his sides tightly, "It broke her Logan and I knew when she kissed me, when she ripped my powers away from me in that moment it would be my cross to bear. It's because of me-because I was weak and unable to convey who I truly was that she couldn't stop herself. It's my fault that everyone suffered, that he's dead…"

"The Professor," Logan realized thinking about the bond Charles and Scott had with one another during the time Logan had been at the school.

"He was the only father I'd ever really known Logan. He gave everything to try to help me, to try to pull me from the fear, but I couldn't control it. I couldn't stop myself from feeling the way I did. I lied to myself about what I was and because of that Jean lost her mind. She went over the edge and murdered him because I…" Scott confessed unable to hide the tears burning behind his eyes. "I failed them all."

"No, you didn't," Logan reached out to embrace Scott. He pulled the smaller man into his arms completely, "you didn't cause any of this Scott. This was brought on by the lies that the Professor lead Jean to believe in. They put a wall up in her mind and it was only a matter of time before it came crashing down over her…"

"I should've been there to stop it. I should've been stronger," Scott confessed tearfully, his resolve slipping away. He buried his head in Logan's chest overtaken by sobs, "there's not a day that goes by where I don't wish I could change things. If only I hadn't left that day-if only I'd confided in someone about my dreams…"

"We had no idea," Logan smoothed his fingers out over Scott's spine, "but now we can make things right. Now we can go back and be stronger. We can start to heal."

"I can't go back," Scott shook his head in refusal, "I can't face them knowing what I do about all that's happened."

"They wouldn't blame you Scott," Logan's eyes searched through the darkness to see the misery in Scott's blue eyes. Reaching out to touch the side of Scott's face, Logan spoke up in a soothing tone, "They would understand what you've been through."

"I don't even understand it," Scott closed his eyes tightly, "I can't explain what's happening to me."

"You don't have to," Logan leaned forward to press a kiss upon Scott's forehead, "because we'll face this together."

"No," Scott finally decided stiffening in Logan's arms, "you'll have to brave this one on your own. My place is here now."

"You don't mean that," Logan's heart sank in his chest.

"I don't have any other options Logan," Scott bit back on his emotions, doing his best to be firm in his resolve, but Logan knew better. He could smell the confusion carrying over Scott, the internal conflict that was tearing Scott to pieces before him. Refusing wasn't what Scott wanted, but it was what Scott felt he needed to do.

"So where does this leave us?" Logan was almost afraid to ask.

"You help them, do what you need to do and when the threat is over…," Scott's words tapered off, uneasiness surrounding him.

"I'll return to you," Logan cupped Scott's face in his hands, "I'll come back for you."

Scott nodded silently, but Logan knew that Scott wasn't so convinced.

"Scott," Logan pushed his fingers through Scott's dark hair, coaxing Scott to meet his eyes again, "I mean it."

"I know you think you do, but we're both living two different lives now Logan," Scott choked up on his emotions, disappointment and sadness filling the room and causing Logan's stomach to twist in realization. As much as they'd wanted a life together, it seemed they were at a crossroads-one that they may never recover from.

"I will be back," Logan promised wrapping Scott up in his arms completely. He bent down, kissing Scott as if his life depended on it. Their tongues tangled, bodies pressed into one another and in that moment Logan found himself never wanting to leave. Obligation meant nothing without the man he loved, yet in knowing Scott's nature, Logan realized should he stay, then they'd both regret not helping the others.

"When are you leaving?" Scott finally questioned breathless and tearful when they parted. He choked up, trying to hide his emotions, but Logan wouldn't ignore them. Instead of poking fun at Scott as he'd done in the past, he reached out to brush a tear from his cheek tenderly.

"I have a flight in the morning," Logan confessed quietly, his heart breaking with each word that spilled from his lips.

"It's just as well," Scott nodded, disappointment hanging over his every syllable, "I have a conference out of town that I'm going to be going to."

"A conference?" Logan's brow perked up with confusion.

"It was part of my surprise," Scott explained regrettably, "I was going to whisk us away to paradise where we could be lose ourselves for a little while. It was all a part of the fantasy…"

"The fantasy," Logan repeated brushing his thumb over Scott's bottom lip gingerly.

"That's right," Scott nodded with a tiny gleam in his eyes, "I had us ready to hop on a red eye later tonight after I cashed in on that promise you made me."

"Promise," Logan added knowingly remembering only too well the things he and Scott had discussed with one another.

"I guess we'll just have to put that on hold as well," Scott detangled himself from Logan's arms, turning away to head towards his bedroom, "I have to pack. I have a flight to catch."

"Scott wait," Logan reached out to Scott, pulling him back into the hallway with him. Wrapping his arms around Scott's body, Logan stepped forward pressing his chest into Scott's back. He could feel the tension surrounding Scott, the culmination of exhaustion and realization overtaking what should've been time well spent with one another. Instead of planning their lives together, they were preparing to say goodbye again, to part for an uncertain amount of time, left to pretend that their relationship was no longer alive and thriving. The thought tore Logan to pieces as he squeezed Summers tighter than before, "we don't have to end it this way."

"Logan, we both know that…" Scott's words tapered off, his voice weak and miserable when Logan's hand pressed over the front of his chest.

"I'm a man of my word," Logan whispered against the back of Scott's neck, his words caressing Scott's body in a tender brush. Closing his arms around Scott tighter than before, he rest his chin on Scott's shoulder, "I'm not leaving you without living up to that promise."

"Logan," Scott tipped his head up, his blue eyes filled with uncertainty.

"It might not be the fantasy you had planned for us, but we have tonight," Logan coaxed Scott to turn around in his arms, "We might be short on time, but I'm yours. I'm your Wolverine and whatever you want from me, I'll give it freely."

"Logan," Scott curled his lip to say something more, to offer Logan an out to their promises for one another.

"We both need this because it's going to be hell without you Summers," Logan confessed leaning in to kiss Scott once more now that the world was changing again bringing their relationship to the ultimate test now that their paths would take them to new directions without each other.


	8. Chapter 8

The setup in the airport had been cheesy, ripped from the pages of a low-budget Cinemax porn that Logan had shamefully wasted time far too much time indulging in then he'd cared to admit. It wasn't exactly what Logan had in mind when it came to putting together a final evening with Scott, but now that Scott seemed to be settling into the role he'd been assigned, Logan knew that he wouldn't be one to challenge the evening. Being with Scott was all that mattered and whatever Scott had asked, Logan was resigned to keep from refusing. Of course despite their earlier confrontation and role playing Logan couldn't help, but wonder if Scott was truly going to keep to avoiding reality between them. It seemed distant and not true to who Scott was, yet again, with the thought of being away from Scott clear on the horizon, Logan wasn't going to question it.

"We're here," Scott explained stopping outside of the clearly overpriced hotel room door. He turned around to face Logan with a softer expression on his face, one that was more familiar now that Logan stood beside him contemplating what was ahead on their final night together.

"Good," Logan mouthed in a quiet tone, his nerves getting the best of him now that the finality of the night lingered over him. While Logan was never one to be afraid, he found himself in an entirely different place tonight wondering what the future would hold after he and Scott said their goodbyes. It made him uncomfortable, unsettled and those were things Logan was never eager to experience. Watching Scott slide his hotel key into the door, Logan pondered what would await them inside, but before he could stew over such matters, he felt Scott reach for his hand.

"This way," Scott laced their fingers together, pulling Logan into the quiet hotel room.

Given Scott's earlier installment of the fantasy, Logan half anticipated discovering whips and chains laying around the room for a more erotic sparring match. It would've been the next step in Scott's evolution to be anything, but the man Logan had known him to be. Then again Logan might've rather enjoyed that kind of twisted torment to pleasure. However, much to Logan's surprise, he discovered a very different scenario before him. All around the room were candles, lit and bringing with them the scent of jasmine and roses. They illuminated the room, bringing a soft flicker of shadows over the lines of Scott's lean, muscular frame. It puzzled Logan when Scott turned around to face him fully.

"There were a lot of thoughts that went through my mind, some of them downright dirty, but when I realized that this could be it for us, well, I didn't want to make this something that wasn't real," Scott explained stepping forward to cup Logan's face in his hands. His thumbs stroked Logan's strong, solid jaw line, massaging his skin in a comforting caress. Their eyes met through the flickering flame and Logan couldn't help, but be puzzled by Scott's tenderness.

"How did you…?" Logan began looking beyond where Scott stood to discover a bucket of ice filled with a dozen bottles of beer near the foot of the bed. There were rose petals scattered over the floor and the center of the bed and Logan couldn't help, but question the gesture.

"I had a little help," Scott explained matter of fact, "and even if it was short notice, I hope you don't mind."

"Of course not," Logan replied apprehensively, suddenly feeling very out of place in Scott's seduction scenario. It was undoubtedly flowery and poetic enough to fit into Scott's cheesy, romantic notions of a seduction, yet the intimacy associated with the gesture felt foreign, a far cry from the rip roaring, throw downs they'd experienced over the last few days.

"Would you care for a drink?" Scott questioned lacing Logan's fingers in his. He guided Logan over towards the bed, coaxing Logan to take a seat upon the edge. Stepping aside, Scott started to retrieve a beer, "They're Canadian."

"Scott," Logan opened his mouth, hoping to put together some kind of rational thought, some kind of protest to the lengths that Scott was going to in order to romance him. Instead, he simply smiled behind gritted teeth, "Sure. Sounds good."

"I thought so," Scott popped the top off of the beer, carrying it with him over to the bed to hand it to Logan, "Should be cold enough."

"I'm sure it's fine," Logan accepted the beer. He held it in his hand for a long moment, thinking about all that would be happening in the days to follow. Tipping his head to the side Logan could see the way that Scott was watching him, seeking out Logan's approval in the moment. Forcing a fake smile, Logan raised the bottle in the air in a mock toast before taking a long, hearty sip hoping to do what was necessary to push things along.

"Scott," Logan blurted out.

"Logan," Scott began at the same time, both of them surprised by the tone they had with one another.

"You first," Logan suggested resting the bottom of the beer bottle on his thigh.

"No really, you go ahead," Scott urged Logan on, doing his best to stay in the moment between them.

"Look this is really nice and all," Logan started to open his mouth in protest, knowing full well that the sweet, sappy elements of a romance novel weren't going to be doing it for either one of them. Yes, perhaps Scott had been used to Barbie doll fantasies with women who had been bowled away by such grandiose gestures, but Logan wasn't one to fall into that category. Sex had been fun, wild, explosive and something that Logan relished dominating as much as he could. He'd been brash, abrasive in his approach with lovers, something Scott was very familiar with, but in Scott's attempt to step into the lead for the night, Logan felt surprisingly out of place in the elements.

"Shh…" Scott reached for the beer bottle, discarding it with a nervous motion. He leaned forward to place the bottle on the ground before returning to slide in closer to Logan. Scott's fingers teased over the stubble across Logan's face, tickling underneath Logan's chin before their length fanned out into Logan's thick, unruly hair. Scott twisted, tangling it tightly before arching upward to kiss Logan.

Logan reciprocated the kiss, feeling Scott place a hand on Logan's thigh. It was a tentative gesture, one that was innocent and tender in it's own right, but Logan still couldn't adjust to the moment. He parted Scott's lips forcefully, sliding his tongue inside to meet Scott's with the same intensity they'd known with one another.

"That's better," a voice inside of his head decided feeling Scott push him back onto the bed. Still engaged in an involved kiss, Logan felt Scott press over him, body stretching out with a familiar warmth. Sure, it might've been awkward at first, but thinking of Scott's desire, tasting it in Scott's kiss was enough to stir up notions beyond the chick flick factor of Scott's seduction. Come to think of it, Summers had one hell of a knack for kissing. He'd been very skilled in that department, even more so when it came to pleasing Logan. For a man who hadn't been involved in a relationship with another man before, Scott had proven to be one of the most engaging, involved lovers Logan had experienced. He was certain that he hadn't ever been as excited as he was with Scott, yet when he closed his eyes pulling together a mental picture of ravishing Scott's naked body, Logan tensed up.

"Wait," Logan decided tearing his lips away from the kiss. He searched Scott's blue eyes with hesitation, uncertain about the terms he'd agreed to, "you know as much as I appreciate the effort Summers…"

"Don't you even think about changing the rules now," Scott frowned, rolling onto his back and taking Logan in over him.

"Better," Logan thought to himself, feeling Summers settle in beneath him, legs caressing Logan's thighs, creating an erotic friction between them, a sense of completion in being close to one another. It was familiar territory with Scott's arms draped around Logan's hips.

"I love you," Scott whispered rising up to nibble on Logan's lower lip. He dragged the plump flesh between his teeth before his hands wandered over the back of Logan's jeans, squeezing his firm bottom in a possessive grip.

"Scott," Logan pulled back clearing his throat uneasily, "look I know you went all out here, but…"

"But what?" Scott questioned, his eyelashes fluttering with the beginnings of disappointment.

"I can't do this," Logan finally blurted out the thoughts that consumed him. As much as it pained him to pull away, Logan tore himself from Scott. He staggered across the room rubbing his palms together with a tiny shudder, "this is just too awkward."

"Awkward," Scott repeated with a flicker of disappointment behind his blue eyes. "How so?"

"Far starters I feel like you're trying to get me into bed after prom," Logan groaned outwardly at the setup Scott had provided them with, "all that's missing is the prom dress, the tired pick up lines and the corsage."

"I thought it was a nice touch," Scott frowned, clearly wounded by Logan's words.

"Yeah, if I was a seventeen year old girl looking for that Cinderella fantasy, but this," Logan pointed to the candle beside him, "Honestly it's a bit much."

"I just thought that…" Scott opened his mouth in protest, his brow creased with confusion at Logan's response.

"I know what you were thinking, but it's not me," Logan reached for the candle blowing it out. He returned it to the table before shaking his head at Scott, "this just isn't us. None of it."

"This is supposed to be special. It's going to be our last night to…" Scott opened his mouth in protest, seeing Logan pace around the room with an uneasiness in his stride.

"It doesn't have to be," Logan paused long enough to bring his own hand through his unruly hair. "Tonight doesn't have to be the end for us. We can just leave together and…"

"I already told you that I can't," Scott argued, his disappointment returning to the blue eyes that Logan had gotten used to finding himself lost in time and time again.

"Can't or won't?" Logan couldn't help but ask, "because from where I stand Scott there's nothing holding you back from leaving. All of this, everything in this room it isn't you. It's not what we are."

"Of course it is," Scott stood up, puffing out his chest angrily, "this is a fantasy and…"

"Fantasy involves a few good moves, some dirty words and then a release, but this, well this is making me feel like I need to go to confession first," Logan mocked the sentiment Scott had put into their evening together. "It's too much."

"Too much?" Scott's voice raised with agitation, anger beginning to flash behind his eyes, "This is too much?"

"That's right," Logan nodded defiantly, "you're just pushing the envelope to the point that…"

"You're stalling," Scott decided with realization upon him, "you're just saying that because you don't want to hold up to your end of the bargain. You don't want to let me inside…"

"That's not it," Logan rolled his eyes in response, "but I do know that I sure as hell don't want to think of myself being the pretty, pretty princess being deflowered by her show tune singing prince in this place."

"I don't believe this," Scott threw his hands up in the air and laughed, "are you really that insecure about the situation that…?"

"Insecure?" Logan repeated with a small roar of laughter, "More like embarrassed Scott. If this is the best that you could come up for us when you had your big opportunity to woo me then…"

"To hell with you," Scott spat, clenching his fists at his side angrily. He marched forward, his fury coiling out through the air and lashing at Logan like a loaded weapon, tearing at his defenses. It carried a distinct whipping aura like the tongue of a snake, dark and dangerous with it's intent. It was in that moment that Logan felt the first spark of lust ignite between them.

"To hell with me?" Logan repeated seeing Scott ball up his fist at his side.

"That's right. You promised me and…" Scott tightened, his jaw flexing involuntarily when he raised his hand in the air, determined to strike Logan for mocking him.

Logan sensed the movement, blocking Scott from succeeding in his tirade. Still it was far from deterring Scott when the smaller man shoved Logan back towards the hotel room door. The wood creaked and splintered by the intensity of the movement tearing into Logan's back.

"You want to leave? Then go!" Scott taunted shoving Logan once again causing another smashing sound to vibrate through the hotel room, "Be a coward. See if I care!"

"That's not what I'm…" Logan attempted to explain himself when Scott shoved him again this time with more venom behind his movements.

"Of course it is. That's exactly what you're doing and…" Scott moved to push Logan again only to feel Logan capture his wrist roughly. Logan's fingers tightened, eyes narrowing at Scott at the iron clad grip he carried with him. Scott's lips parted in protest, caught up in surprise over the movement when Logan revealed the beginnings of a glare from within.

"I wouldn't do that if I were you," Logan warned with a snarl, his own instincts bristling with the promise of a fight. While it was far from what Logan had wanted, he knew full well that nothing suited him more then having Scott amped up and ready to strike. It was the one time that Scott gave up on being a priss, on trying to be proper and suited to society's expectations. It was in his anger, Scott had found freedom and that was part of the turn on for them. Now with Scott throwing a punch into Logan's jaw, Logan knew the night was getting interesting. Shoving Scott away from him, Logan watched Scott tumble back into the flowery bed, "Back off Summers!"

"That's it," Scott huffed, nostrils flaring, wild with embarrassment and humiliation over Logan's refusal to fall into the romantic evening Scott had prepared for him. Scott might've been down, but he wasn't out. He leapt up off of the bed charging at Logan with double the speed he normally would. In a whoosh of movement Scott crashed against Logan, sending him back into the hotel room door with a distinct slam.

"Is that the best you have Summers?" Logan continued to taunt with a feral grin, feeling Scott's hot breath upon his shoulders, seeing his teeth gritted and holding back the curse word that was undoubtedly on the tip of Scott's tongue. Oh yeah, Scott was pissed and Logan was certain he was about to be the recipient of Scott's beautifully undisciplined rage.

"You haven't seen anything yet," Scott rose up on his toes, seizing Logan's hair in his fingers. He twisted it tightly, tugging and wrenching at it before releasing Logan with a shove. He flung his fist into Logan's abdomen, catching Logan off guard with a strength that hadn't been present in Scott over the last few days. While Logan had expected some kind of recoil, he hadn't imagined Scott to carry around that kind of intensity any longer. Scott struck Logan again causing him to let out a pinched hiss. Logan doubled over, catching his breath when Scott swung Logan around throwing him towards the table with the beer bucket upon it. It crashed down to the floor, colliding with the bedpost. One of the bottles broke, spraying over the floor in a wild, frantic hiss. It began to spin around, sending liquid across the room, all over the walls in a desperate rush of agonized splashing.

"You're predictable if nothing else," Logan taunted further finding himself charged by the bristling fury Scott's scent engulfed him in. It was hot, wild and untamed in all the ways Logan had prided himself on being through the years. It was then that Logan spotted the mirror on the wall behind the headboard. It hung like a window into their situation, highlighting the transformation of the room from Cinderella's dream honeymoon to a battleground where winner took all.

Logan noticed blood on his lip near the corner of his mouth. He reached up to wipe at it, realizing that the cut had already healed itself, still in knowing Scott broke the skin, Logan couldn't help, but feel his body ignited. His nostrils flared, pupils dilated when he saw Scott's reflection in the mirror approaching from behind. With the movement Logan attempted to engage in the battle, rising up to his feet just in time to feel Scott plummet upon him, driving a fist into the back of his neck. Logan doubled over the table, crashing into the edge of the bed face forward when Scott crawled over him, clawing and scratching at Logan's shoulders, driving his nails over Logan's back in a destructive, predatory scrape.

"Is this predictable?" Scott snarled, tearing at Logan's shirt, pulling it up and out of the back of his jeans in a frenzy.

"Now that you mention it," Logan laughed lightly, continuing to mock Scott's passive nature, "I could see this coming a mile away."

"Like hell," Scott stretched out over Logan, pressing his enraged body over Logan's thick, muscular form. He pinned Logan down into the blankets surprising Logan with the power behind the movement. Even though Scott was much lighter than Logan was, tonight Scott seemed to have the strength of ten men. The power behind his weight upon Logan was the last thing Logan had expected, yet it was dominating when Scott reached out to Logan twisting Logan's hair. He tugged harder drawing Logan's head back up off of the blanket with a snarl. Leaning forward Scott bit down on Logan's earlobe possessively, holding nothing back in the distinctive clamp of his teeth into Logan's flesh.

It brought with it an unexpected pain as Logan let out a long groan, his body buzzing with anticipation now that he'd found a way to turn things around. Summers was too caught up in the semantics of being proper and sappy when they'd arrived at the hotel, but Logan knew full well it wasn't what either one of them wanted. Now with Scott tonguing his ear, hands curling in beneath Logan's abdomen frantically seeking out the button on Logan's jeans, it seemed things were finally picking up between them. Scott grunted, his fingers caught between Logan's body and the comforter in a reckless attempt at removing Logan's jeans.

"Damn it," Scott cursed digging his fingers into Logan's shoulder. He growled with frustration and something Logan couldn't quite read. Scott snarled and huffed, using his strength to tear Logan away from the blankets in a lightening quick movement. When Logan flopped onto his back, his eyes turning upward to see Scott in a wild, frazzled state.

"There's nothing predictable about me tonight," Scott argued, reaching out to rip the sides of Logan's shirt open, to tear the burgundy material apart in with a primitive roar. Buttons flew across the room, striking the wall as Scott drove forward tracing the lines of Logan's chest with his tongue and teeth.

Logan closed his eyes, fighting to stay in control when Scott's tongue flicked over his nipple. The movement was rough, wet, desperate and needy when Scott bit into Logan's flesh causing him to groan. Logan's hips involuntarily thrust upward, feeling the soft grind of Scott over him. He was on sensory overload overtaken with the beautiful culmination of his lust and Scott's rage. Together the two sensations rippled through the air, thick and musky stronger than the jasmine Scott had placed in the room.

"You're mine," Scott repeated over and over again, in between tattooing frantic kisses over Logan's body driving him on further down the path leading to the top of Logan's jeans. Logan's fingers snaked out into Scott's hair, brushing up against the scalp as Scott's tongue lashed at Logan's muscle corded body, carefully imprinting every ripple of Logan's abdomen into his memory.

"Prove it," Logan taunted encouragingly, feeling Scott's kisses at the top of his jeans.

Logan sucked in a sharp breath, thoughts running wild in his mind, but when Scott's fingers worked over the zipper time stood still. The cool contrast of air in the room caused Logan's aroused body to spring forward, gravitating towards Scott's hot, ragged breath making Logan harder than he'd been earlier. Raising his head up to look between them, Logan watched Scott lick his lips in a predatory fashion before Scott's fist wrapped around Logan, sliding up and down over his distended flesh in a tortuously slow brush. It was a sharp contrast to the scenario they'd just built themselves up to. Logan wanted Scott to break loose, to tear them both into pieces with wild intensity, but Scott was controlled, determined in his measure. His blue eyes were focused, appreciating the length before him. It was a clear sign of Logan's lust for Scott, but it threatened to betray him completely when Logan watched Scott's grip tighten. He felt Scott's breath carry over his skin, sending tiny shivers of delight over Logan's body. It was all he could do not to succumb to a groan when Scott leaned forward tracing his soft, wet, exploratory tongue over the length of Logan's body in it's controlled movement.

"Summers," Logan snarled impatiently, his features twisting with agony when Scott pushed up on his elbows again, breaking the contact.

A few seconds later the tip of Scott's tongue revealed itself, teasing in tiny, fluttering flicks over Logan's pulsating body, overtaken with lust. Still it wasn't enough when Summers tongue found it's way back to the top of Logan's arousal. He released Logan again staying frozen just beyond Logan's reach. Logan's hips thrust upward in protest, wanting nothing more than to feel those lips surrounding him, but Scott refused placing his hands flat on Logan's hair dusted thighs.

"Patience Logan," Scott mouthed, mocking Logan's familiar phrase.

In that moment Logan could see how agitating it truly was to be told to put off gratification. Yes, he'd tossed the word out at Scott a great many times when they'd been together, but this was torture. Knowing that Scott's talented mouth hovered over him, promising delight, Logan wanted more. He didn't want to succumb to being on someone else's schedule. Reaching down to seize Scott's dark hair in his grip, Logan pushed Scott's head forward with a grunt.

"Do it," Logan ordered Scott, his voice a primitive, unforgiving snarl sure to frighten anyone else who had heard him, but Scott tensed up, motionless and unyielding in not removing the distance Scott had placed between them.

"Do what?" Scott questioned with a cocky smirk, his blue eyes filled with mischievous intent. Their fight had been foreplay, but this, well, this was torture, meant to be served up to Logan in a painful fashion. "Say it."

"Summers, don't be a…" Logan started to curse only to feel Scott's fingers curl around him once again. He was rewarded by the slide of Scott's fist down his length, centering in over the base before Scott released him again.

"Say it Logan," Scott ordered in an authoritative tone, his words dark and menacing, "what do you want from me?"

"I want you to stop screwing off and get to the point Summers," Logan threw a glare out over at Scott, refusing to beg for anything from the man he loved. If Scott wanted to play games, then Logan would be stubborn, he'd fight Scott at every twist, denying himself pleasure if need be before he caved.

"What point?" Scott questioned with mild amusement in his tone.

"You're really testing my patience," Logan pushed himself upward on the bed, using his elbows to place him in a half seated position beneath Scott on the blankets. From his new view he could see everything from Scott's beautiful blue eyes taunting him to the perfect line of Scott's firm ass hanging over the bottom of the bed. That thought in itself brought a rush of thrill over Logan causing his body to bounce upward in anticipation, nearly striking Scott in the process.

"Tell me what you want and you'll get it," Scott taunted further, his fingers squeezing Logan's thighs. His fingers curved downward in a pinch, breaking through the surface of Logan's skin.

Logan grunted, closing his eyes momentarily before conceding to Scott's request, "I'm ready to collect on that blow job you promised me the other night."

"Fair enough," Scott decided ending the torture. Taking Logan between his lips again, licking and suctioning his mouth over Logan's body in a wild, desperate attempt to seek out a release from Logan.

"Mmm…" Logan managed to get out. Sensations coiled over his body, causing him to fall back onto the blankets again. He groaned, his hips rocking forward, pumping into Scott's wet, warm mouth involuntarily. He kept his eyes closed tightly, thinking about how much he'd savored Scott's wicked tone. Scott's mouth that had worked so hard to say all the right things, but behind closed doors it was full of all the naughty, sweet indulgences Logan had grown rather fond of.

With Logan still inside Scott's mouth, Logan knew full well it might've been the last thing Scott had planned, but in his fury, Scott had proven to be a very thorough lover. His rage had been channeled into pleasing Logan, into driving Logan mad and riding out the wildfire that had been ignited in Logan's soul. It was raw, primitive and daunting as Scott worked Logan into a frenzy, giving more and more, offering a skilled, thorough teasing of Logan's manhood until finally Logan felt Scott's hand press in over Logan's thigh, sliding upward.

Logan tensed up, trying not to focus on anything, but Scott's lips, tongue and suction, still dedicated to pleasuring Logan. It felt warm, wonderful and divine in so many ways that when Scott reached out across the bed, seeking out the necessities he'd brought with them for tonight, Logan had barely noticed. Immersed in pleasure Logan's brow was creased, hands twisting in Scott's hair twisting and pulling on Scott's head to guide his movements further. It was incredible, the perfect resolution to their disagreement, building and expanding until…

Logan felt Scott stop, pushing away from him completely. Logan's eyes snapped open, mouth dropping with silent protest. He searched the room, seeking out Scott in an attempt to force Scott to bring him to climax, but before he could order Scott to return, he felt Scott, sliding up onto the bed beside him.

"I'll get you off soon," Scott pinched at Logan's nipple, his fingers clenching tighter and more menacing with each passing second. It took everything in Logan not to groan, to indulge the sensory overload with Scott's hand tapering off over Logan's thigh once again in a silent promise to continue.

"Let's not make this anymore difficult then it has to be," Scott suggested coaxing Logan to roll over onto his stomach.

Despite the warnings going off in Logan's mind, he readily obliged when Scott's hand returned to his hardened length, sliding up and down in a tentative brush. Logan growled under his breath, rising up on his knees to meet Scott's touch. The staggering moment in combination with the distraction gave Scott the leverage he needed to push Logan forward, causing him to move in an uneasy press towards the headboard. It rattled beneath Logan, pulling him from distraction to raise his head up and look into the mirror before him.

"Scott," Logan hissed his name, reaching out to flatten his palms over the wall above the headboard, fingers splashing out against the cool mirror.

Logan's pulse was racing, skin ablaze with the arousing scent of sex and lust slamming over him again and again. His eyes were once again closed, but he could feel Scott behind him, on his knees and running his hands over the back of Logan's thighs, up over his hips, down between his thighs again until finally a warmth carried over Logan's bottom. Immediately Logan opened his eyes and sought out Scott. He found him on the bed kneeling behind Logan possessively. His blue eyes were divided by pleasure, brow creased with determination clearly contemplating his next move when Scott's hand fell from Logan's line of vision, leaving it's positioning at the small of Logan's back to stroke himself eagerly.

That sight in itself caused Logan to stretch up higher, hoping to catch a glimpse of Scott pleasuring himself, to see his once repressed lover fisting his own distended flesh with the same intensity that Scott had doted on Logan with. Then again, the very idea of being the one to touch and tantalize Scott sounded even better when Logan started to shift on the blanket to oblige.

"Don't move!" Scott ordered returning his hands to Logan's hips in a deep, commanding press. It offered Logan a much clearer view of Scott's thighs, a more explicit glimpse of his lover's fully aroused body, hot and ready throbbing in anticipation for what was yet to come. Desire coursed through Logan's body, thinking about how many times he'd savored Scott. His lips parted, jaw loosening at the imagery before him, but it did nothing to satiate the need for Scott that overtook Logan.

"Patience," Scott repeated again, using that damn phrase that Logan was going to be sure to outlaw between them once they'd returned to one another. There was nothing patient or understanding about Logan in the moment. He wanted sex, raw and primitive and he was ready to take it one way or the other. He started to twist on the blankets, ready to tackle Scott if need be, but he was prevented by the feel of Scott leaning over him possessively.

"I wouldn't do that if I were you," Scott whispered hotly over the center of Logan's spine. Scott's lips grazed over him, tongue swirling deliciously erotic patterns over Logan's skin wanting to recapture Logan's attention all over again.

Logan obliged biting down on his lower lip, teeth sinking into the flesh and breaking the skin in remembering every line of Scott's irresistible body. Logan had indulged in it time and time again, had savored every inch of it in his mouth, yet the very idea of allowing Scott to penetrate him, to take control of their love making, it caused him to tense up knowing he'd never indulge that kind of request with anyone else.

"Relax," Logan heard Scott whisper against his spine, pressing a kiss over the curve of Logan's shoulder in a tender contrast to the fury of Scott's hand gripping Logan's manhood.

"You talk too much," Logan attempted to be callous in his tone, but lust dominated him when Scott's slick finger pressed between his muscled flesh, sliding into Logan's body without warning. Logan tensed up, barely effected by anything beyond the notion of Scott inside of him. He waited, sensing Scott's hesitation. Immediately Logan's eyes returned to the mirror again, seeing Scott watching Logan as well, his blue eyes longing and contemplative in the moment. Groaning outwardly, Logan rolled his hips back into Scott, offering up the encouragement for Scott to keep his wits about him. It was a small concession, but one Logan hoped that Scott would make the most of.

As anticipated, Scott's brow shifted, relieved of the tension and now creased with determination upon Logan's silent approval. Eagerly Scott leaned forward once again pressing another finger inside of Logan to test the waters between them. Logan groaned, gyrating again when Scott fell forward bringing one hand into Logan's hair. He pulled Logan's head back, wrenching it to the side as their mouths sloppily collided again and again. The taste of Scott, the feel of him over Logan, with Scott sliding his fingers from Logan's hair around between Logan's thighs to touch and tease him was enough to keep Logan from the semantics of the situation. With Scott's tongue buried in his throat, Logan was far from lost in a sea of doubt or insecurities about relinquishing his own control in the relationship. It was about their fire, their passion and the way it felt to have Scott in his life. Reaching up over his shoulder, Logan squeezed Scott's neck, running his fingers up into Scott's dark hair before he spoke up behind gritted teeth.

"Quit over thinking it Summers," Logan snarled, face twisted with pleasure and anticipation when Scott obliged seizing Logan's hips possessively. In an instant Logan felt the forward push of Scott's body at his opening, proud and decisive ready to bring an end to the curiosities they'd both shared with one another. Logan returned his focus to the mirror again wanting to gauge himself for Scott's every reaction to the moment. Smiling inwardly, Logan realized Scott had never seemed more out of control or determined, never more ready to step outside of himself completely. Logan arched back, feeling Scott's breath labored and scattered over Logan's spine when Scott crashed inside of him.

"Damn…" Scott groaned outwardly, caught up in the feel of Logan's body surrounding him. There was a small recoil, a moment of tightness as Scott adjusted to the feel of Logan, knowing of what a concession Logan had made for him. Scott raised his head again, his eyes catching Logan's expression in the mirror before him.

Logan growled, keeping his eyes on Scott, unable to ignore how exciting the view was with Scott buried inside of him. Suddenly Logan began thinking about the control he'd carried with him since he'd found himself on a new path to rediscover himself. Time and time again he'd been all about keeping from losing himself to the moment, about denying himself the vulnerability that took most people under. He was an alpha, in control of his own destiny, but with Scott inside of him, he found something else dominating his thoughts and logic.

"Mine," was the word that Logan had used time and time again to describe his attachment to Scott, but when Scott began to push forward into Logan, burying himself deeper, Logan grunted realizing it hadn't been that simple. It never had been. Driving back against Scott in further invitation, Logan tipped his head back, relinquishing any and all control to the man who had pulled him from his journey time and time again.

"God," Scott breathed in deep concentration, sliding in and out of Logan's body, working up a friction that went beyond anything either had anticipated. At first it had been strange, a notion that Logan hadn't anticipated bringing life to, but with each heavy, primitive thrust Scott made inside of Logan, the pleasure began to build and rise, pulling out from within the ultimate form of release that Logan hadn't expected to discover.

"Fuck," Logan cursed under his breath, feeling reminiscent of the days gone by when Scott had been in this very position, loving and longing for more from Logan. With the memory filling his head, Logan's body tightened, rising with pleasure, begging for a release when Scott picked up the pace. Their bodies collided, crashing into one another in a primitive, animalistic fashion, pounding again and again until Scott's fingers returned to Logan's hardened ache, offering up a frantic attempt at release for Logan.

"You like this?" Scott questioned running one hand over Logan's back, the other continuing it's animalistic pace over Logan's throbbing manhood.

In the past Logan might've made fun of Scott's uncanny ability to work on multitasking better than anyone else, but now that Logan was the recipient of such skilled concentration, he couldn't help, but appreciate that side of Scott all the more. Throwing his head back, Logan grunted practically purring at the feel of his heightened instincts. The room was hot, sticky and saturated with the smell of sex surrounding Logan. His body was on fire, begging and pleading in ways he hadn't ever anticipated offering to another person. He instinctively fell to a rhythm with Scott, grinding and twisting to accommodate the wildly, untamed press of Scott's body inside of him. Logan thought again to how he'd teased Scott, always chided him about his desperate, free moving hips, always too ready to rush to release, but now it felt divine, exquisite in their tempo and frenzied deliberation. Scott's hunger was finally matched by Logan's sending him howling with delight. There was no denying Logan wanted Scott, needed the feel of Scott over him, inside of him, surrounding him and with each passing second he fell deeper into the place he'd always felt that men like him weren't meant for in their lives. He needed Scott, desired Scott and knew without a shadow of a doubt, that he belonged to Scott just as Scott had belonged to him.

"I love you," Scott whispered in the back of Logan's ear, biting down on Logan's neck before Logan lost all control, fingers crashing into the mirror, shattering it with the movement when Logan's claws revealed themselves scratching over the fractured glass in a powerful release sending both men over the edge with one another.

xxxxx

Twisted sheets and torn pillows lay beneath Scott and Logan now that they'd settled onto the center of the bed wrapped up in a spooning fashion with Scott's arms wrapped around Logan. It had been a switch from their usual positioning, but tonight Logan wasn't about to argue it, he wasn't going to run from it now that he'd immersed himself completely in their coupling. For the first time in a long time he felt at ease, belonging to someone who was his unconditionally. It was sappy and pathetic, going against everything Logan had ever believed in, yet it was wonderful all at the same time with Scott holding on, keeping Logan close to him.

"So much for romantic, memorable interludes," Scott finally laughed, breaking their long silence. He deposited a kiss over the curve of Logan's neck before his hold on Logan tightened.

"It was memorable," Logan confessed breathlessly, "the only thing that could make this better would be a good cigar."

"And risk you setting the bed on fire," Scott wrinkled his nose at the suggestion, "We're already going to be in deep for the mirror, so I don't think I'm ready to risk it."

"Losing your sense of adventure already, are you Scott?" Logan tsked, shaking his head in teasing.

"I've still got plenty of adventure inside of me Logan, but burning down a hotel doesn't top my to do list," Scott noted inwardly, his amusement revealed in his tone.

"I don't know," Logan growled appreciatively, "I think we might've been well on that road with one another not so long ago. You were on fire in your own way."

"I was, wasn't I?" Scott boasted with a satisfied smirk overtaking him.

"Who knew you could sex it up like that after a few punches?" Logan blurted out with a rumble of laughter.

"You really don't like the idea of me pouring out all the romance, do you?" Scott joked with a teasing hint of laughter in his tone. He pressed a kiss over the top of Logan's head, whispering over his damp hair.

"I was just afraid you'd start crying if you kept trying to take those fairy tale baby steps tonight," Logan traced his fingers over Scott's arm tentatively, "Given your history, you would've chickened out and denied yourself what you really wanted."

"No, I wouldn't have," Scott conceded lovingly, his arms still surrounding Logan.

"Yes," Logan twisted around to face Scott fully, "you would have and maybe on some level I might have let you."

"I thought it was headed that way for us when you seemed like you were ready to leave," Scott noted seeing something flash behind Logan's eyes.

"It would've been a huge mistake," Logan confessed with the beginnings of a smirk carrying over his lips, "Granted I knew how wonderful you taste, but in feeling you…in us being together that way…"

"Don't tell me you're going to get sentimental on me," Scott teased tracing the center of Logan's swelled lips, "because the idea of being prissy is really unappealing and…"

"I'm willing to risk it," Logan decided sliding his fingers into Scott's hair leisurely. As their eyes connected Logan spoke up in a solemn breath, "I wouldn't have considered this with anyone else."

"I know," Scott nodded accordingly, "I realize that."

"Then realize what this means," Logan stroked the side of Scott's face lovingly, "We're together for life no excuses."

"Logan," Scott opened his mouth to answer his words only to feel Logan silence him.

"Don't try to add your poetic to the moment because it'll make me rethink mine," Logan warned sharply, his glossy, satiated features lovingly fixed on Scott's, "What I'm trying to say is that we complete each other Summers. As chick flick clichéd as that sounds, it's the one thing that we both know. We can't always agree to what we think we want, but what we need we can only find it in each other. This is it for us."

"I know," Scott smiled approvingly, clearly effected by Logan's words.

"This changes everything," Logan squeezed Scott in closer to him, "this shows us that neither one of us are inferior to the other. We're equals in this partnership."

"Logan, you don't have to…" Scott felt a blush overtaking him, "I know you're just saying that to…"

"I don't consider you weak. I never have Scott because as far as I'm concerned, you're one of the strongest men I know. You have a strength of character and conviction that rivals any other I've known and," Logan paused taking in a nervous breath, "I don't want to leave without you. I want you to come back with me."

"Logan, I already told you that…" Scott opened his mouth to refuse against his instincts.

"I know what you said, but I can sense what you want-what we both need," Logan coaxed him further. "Please don't discard the notion when we both see that…"

"They won't accept me. I'm not one of them anymore," Scott's lashes flickered somberly.

"You don't believe that," Logan shook his head and sighed, "You've never felt that way."

"I'm different," Scott's lashes fluttered with an uneasiness.

"You're right," Logan curled his finger underneath his chin, coaxing Scott to look at him again, "you're better than ever."

"You're only saying that because I screwed you senseless," Scott wrinkled his nose at Logan and laughed.

"No, I'm saying it because it's true," Logan insisted with another long, hungry once over, "although if you really think that's what is guiding my actions, maybe you should try it again to see what the response is."

"Again?" Scott's eyes widened with surprise, "you mean…?"

"Unless you hold any objections," Logan wiggled his brow suggestively. "Come tomorrow I might regain my logic and decide this is not somewhere we should continue to go with each other."

"In that case I'd be a fool not to take completely advantage of this wave of sentimentality that you're feeling," Scott decided easing in over Logan, kissing him again with all the hunger and fire that had been present in their earlier exchanges.

"I knew you were a bad boy Scott. It was only a matter of time before I corrupted you completely," Logan mouthed approvingly. He wrapped his arms around Scott knowing that come tomorrow things would change, but tonight they were free to indulge in each other on every level imaginable.


	9. Chapter 9

Scott stretched out beneath the blankets, feeling the weight of Logan's arm across his chest. While last night had proven to be far more intense than Scott had hoped for, it had also given him reason to rethink his decision to stay in Ohio. Now with Logan's head resting on his chest, Scott realized it wasn't any wonder that he'd missed his red eye flight to paradise. Scott hadn't lost sight of the time when he'd settled into bed with Logan, but in making that small decision, it meant everything was about to change.

Closing his eyes Scott thought back to his time at the school, to the things he promised Charles he would do when the time was right. He'd done everything in his power to live up to those promises before he'd lost everything, but now…well, now he wasn't the man he had once been. So many things had changed.

A tiny flash of horror carried over Scott. In an instant, he could feel himself wrapped up in danger again, trapped in the dream world that had haunted him for months. In the waking hours his nightmares hadn't consumed him, yet with Logan's arm still draped over him, Scott felt it bristling on his skin.

"No," Scott mouthed opening his eyes to find himself in a very clinical looking room. He could feel eyes upon him, sense hands probing at his arms and legs. There was someone touching his face, poking him in the neck and causing pain. There was so much agony and danger… The room was filled with screams-some of Scott's own, but more so was the weight of pain and agony. It was all around him.

"Stop!" Scott willed the nightmare to leave him. He shook his head returning to the hotel room with Logan. His heart was racing in his chest, throat dry and breathing uneven. His head ached, a pounding, throbbing headache overtaking him when his mind started to let go of the nightmare. It was nothing, yet…

Reluctantly Scott shifted on the bed, feeling Logan still caught up in a deep sleep. Last night must've worked a number over Logan as well, Scott noted realizing Logan had never appeared to be so at ease in his surroundings. Now, with Logan snuggling into the pillow, Scott couldn't help but smile goofily. If only he had a camera, he would've relished in locking the memory in for a rainy day when Logan denied the experience had even happened. A laugh rumbled in the back of Scott's throat, a warmth carrying over him in a quiet moment of peace. Remembering his cell phone still in his pants, Scott leaned over the side of the bed, attempting to search through his pockets and locate his phone. Once he found it, he took a bold move in snapping an image of Logan, sleeping beside him before dropping the phone to the floor again.

"Maybe you're right," Scott decided sitting up on the bed to watch Logan for a few minutes. Reaching out to touch Logan's shoulder, Scott felt Logan stir beside him, still caught up in a dream, "maybe I'm only delaying the inevitable for us."

With a breath and a decision fresh on his mind, Scott rustled his fingers through Logan's hair knowing that nothing could keep Scott from following Logan's path. Life without Logan was miserable and even if it meant Scott having to face the past and the life he left behind knowing that the world wouldn't understand his changes, then so be it. He would push his insecurities aside to do what he'd sworn to all those years ago.

"Let's go home," Scott whispered repositioning himself on the bed to press a tender kiss over the back of Logan's neck. Contemplating his next move, Scott decided he should make his way back to the airport to change up his ticket in order to catch a flight with Logan. While it hadn't been on the top of his mind the night before, now he was guided by his obligation to the life he left behind and to the love he felt for the man beside him.

Quietly scooting out of the bed, Scott searched the room for this things, scrambling to get dressed and have everything sorted out before Logan awakened. Looking around the room, Scott spotted a pen and a piece of paper. He quickly jotted down a note before heading to the door to exit the room. He paused looking over his shoulder one last time at Logan's sleeping form. He was rough around the edges, but nothing short of an Adonis with the sheet barely hanging over his thick, muscular hips. It was enough to make Scott second guess his logic in leaving, but knowing what was waiting around the corner, Scott knew he couldn't leave anything to chance.

"I love you," Scott whispered blowing a kiss to a sleeping Logan. He walked over to the door, leaving it open for a second when he stepped out into the hallway. Taking a step back, Scott couldn't help, but look at Logan one last time before smiling, "I'll be back."

xxxxx

Fury filled the watcher's heart upon seeing the former member of the X-Men team emerge from the hotel room. He'd been waiting all night, thinking about the perfect time to approach the situation, but with Summers still there it put a crimp in his plans. It wasn't at all what he wanted to get into after all this time. He'd been planning, waiting with skilled calculation looking for the opportunity to make his move. He thought he'd found it when the bike broke down in Ohio, but Summers had stepped into the equation and put his plans on hold. Granted Summers was simply collateral damage when the real prize was waiting inside the hotel room. Now, hiding around the corner, he watched Scott saunter off with a idiotic looking skip and a jump towards the elevators.

"Finally," he groaned standing up fully, leaving nothing to chance with his movements. He stomped towards the hotel room, determined to pick up where they'd left off all that time ago. No longer would he remain hiding, no more would he simply pretend to not exist in Logan's life. He was ready to take Logan back and now with the school a distant memory, he was bound and determined to make it happen. One way or the other Logan would return to him.

Reaching for the doorknob in an attempt to end the alienation they had from one another, he was thwarted once again. He growled when he sensed Summers close to him. Summers was returning, a voice inside his head realized. In that moment he contemplated taking Summers out, considered removing the annoyance once and for all, but instead he doubled back, returning to the shadows. A moment later Summers returned with a single, red rose in hand, mumbling something incoherent to himself before slipping into the hotel room again. Feeling his patience fading, he decided he no longer cared if Logan wasn't alone. Summers was no match for him especially in his weakened state and could be easily disposed of. It would all be a quick fix to the problem that had been tormenting him for years. Logan would return to him-he would come back to where he was meant to be and…

His thoughts were stopped by the scent of Logan in the air. Familiar and overwhelming, it caused a string of emotions to awaken the beast. The memories were there, pressing and consuming, making him wish for better times. Together he and Logan had been unstoppable. They could rule the world as gods and now he was returning to cash in upon it. He leaned into the hallway, preparing to confront Logan as he had all those years ago, but much to his surprise and dismay he'd been wrong. The scent that overtook him was indeed Logan's, but it radiated over Scott, penetrating his senses until a horrified thought consumed him.

"No," he snarled seeing Scott disappear into one of the elevators leaving at long last. Unable to hold back on his curiosity and suspicions he made his way over to the still partially opened hotel room door. He pushed his foot inside of the door frame to prevent it from closing.

In an instant, he was inside the hotel room seeking out Logan. Once inside the foul stench of sex and Scott Summers lingered in the air surrounding him, causing a breath to rumble in the back of his throat. He fought to ignore it, instead seeking out Logan through the darkness. Once he'd located Logan, his thoughts shifted once again. His eyes widened, senses surrounded by the overwhelming memories that triggered his mind. They were together again, reunited and soon they would be indestructible…

His plans for the future were put to rest when he discovered Logan sprawled out across the center of the bed, with senses dulled, sleeping and clueless to the fact that he was no longer alone. Disappointment settled in over him in the realization that Logan was clueless. He'd lost his edge because in the past Logan would've sensed him a mile away. The other night he'd thought Logan had felt him at the bar, but when Logan hadn't come after him, he'd written it off as a fluke. Now it was painfully clear that Logan was different, weaker as he moved forward, again being hit by the overwhelming scent of sex. It was then that everything snapped into place for him. Logan hadn't been merely reconnecting with Summers on the level of aimless flirting. Logan had been involved with him-engaged in a relationship of sorts-not that he could really blame Logan for testing the waters with someone like Summers. Hell, he'd considered plenty of ways to torture the boy in the past, terrifying him for his own twisted need for power, but in his blood thirst he hadn't considered Summers anything more than a weakling to be put down. Scott had been full of fear, something that he'd readily fed off of, but now in seeing Logan's naked, muscular form stretched out on top of the blankets giving off a clearer picture of what had happened the night before, it became painfully obvious there was more than terror on the horizon.

"What has he done to you? He's made you weak, hasn't he?" he questioned stepping in closer to Logan. Leaning over the side of the bed was when the scent of Summers hit him all over again. It caused his skin to bristle, his thoughts to darken when it became clear that Summers was more than Logan's latest pet. He was someone that Logan had grown fond of, had allowed to become important in his life and…

"No," he took a step back, feeling bile in the back of his throat when it was clear that Scott had somehow made his mark on Logan. However the boy had done it, he'd managed to take away Logan's ferocity, turning Logan into nothing more than a helpless lapdog, clueless to the world around him. That infuriated him, causing him to take a step back away from the bed.

"This isn't what you were meant for," he snarled, bumping into the dresser where Scott had deposited the rose for Logan. Reaching for it, he ripped it in his fingers, tearing it in a silent rage. He threw the petals to the ground before he spotted the note on top of the dresser. Reaching for it, he skimmed the page, crumpling it up and tossing it to the floor before he decided it was time to eliminate the threat. If Logan wouldn't leave because of misguided loyalty to a boy like Scott, then he would make sure that Scott was no longer an issue. Standing up taller, his gaze cast across the darkness again to where Logan was asleep.

"We'll meet again very soon only next time you'll come to me as it always should have been," he promised turning his back and marching out of the room determined to make things right once and for all.

"Jean?" Logan questioned, his eyes narrowing in the fog that surrounded him. Although he had been certain that he was still with Scott something had changed. He was back to that place on the water, surrounded by floating debris and chaos where he'd first found Jean. It was thick and suffocating, far from where Logan wanted to be when he spotted her auburn hair blowing in the wind that surrounded her. Her eyes were glowing, lips curved downward in the beginnings of a scowl and Logan felt himself ready for a fight. Defensively, he felt his claws preparing to emerge in the hopes of defending himself, but before he could react she was inside of his head.

"He's in trouble Logan," her voice echoed in his mind, penetrating his thoughts and causing him to fall backwards. He brought his hands up over his head, letting out a roar now that she was inside his mind.

"You have to stop this!" she continued to beckon him, her words growing stronger with each footstep she took towards him.

Logan raised his head up seeing her eyes flash red as her hand stretched out towards him. Her mouth wasn't moving, but her message was being imprinted into his brain, driving deeper into his subconscious.

"You've brought this upon him and now it's time to fix things. You need to save him," Jean's words haunted him, "you need to bring him back."

"You're dead," Logan gripped the sides of his head tightly, an ache pounding in his temple, "you can't be here. You…"

"If you love him, then you'll save him. You'll stop it from destroying him as you've always known it would," she taunted further, her brows narrowing with an intensity that caused Logan's skin to crawl. She moved towards him, seemingly floating on air until she was a few feet away from him, eyes burning with an unrelenting heat into his.

"You're the one that tried to destroy him," Logan snarled finding the strength to pull himself up straighter. "You tried to take him from me. You…"

His snarling words were brought to a halt when she extended her arm out further, hand twisting in such a grip that Logan crashed to his knees on the ground before her. He felt her pushing at his body, bending his limbs to keep him pinned down as the winds picked up around them, surrounding him in her madness.

"Scott won't survive this Logan. You know as well as I do that this will destroy him," she warned cryptically, her voice resonating through the fog until finally there was a flash of light. Logan closed his eyes, unable to take the intensity before a whoosh of wind surrounded him.

Breathing heavily, he reopened his eyes discovering Jean was gone. The fog had been lifted and he was now surrounded by a laboratory, in a place he knew he didn't want to be. Rising to his feet, he took in his surroundings feeling they were eerily familiar. There was a different kind of smoke surrounding him, yet he was far from the water with Jean. There was a building, tucked away in the midst of generators. Pain was all around him, misery seeping into his body, but before he could head towards the building everything faded to black.

"We're brothers Jimmy and brothers don't turn their backs on one another," the voice penetrated through Logan's dream again and again, taking him from thoughts of Jean's warning about Scott.

It had been enough to rouse Logan from his sleep, finding himself lost and wondering what was happening. Through the darkness he could sense danger, could take in the scent of something horrible, but when his eyes widened seeking out the source of his concerns, Logan realized he was alone. Tipping his head to the side, he looked to where Scott had been sleeping the night before, but he was gone.

"Damn it," Logan cursed under his breath realizing that Scott must've slipped out early to avoid a painful goodbye. Then again Logan hadn't been good at goodbyes himself either especially when they came with such an unwelcome feeling. He'd never been one for sentimentality or attachments, yet he hadn't anticipated having to truly say goodbye to Scott again. The heaviness in his chest was inescapable when Logan had found himself hoping that Scott would change his mind. He'd wanted Scott to join him, to return to what was waiting back home, but instead Scott had abandoned him.

"Oh Summers," Logan sighed doing his best not to be sentimental, but it was no use. He couldn't imagine not having Scott with him in his return. Yes, he'd promised not to force Scott's hand, but this time, he couldn't let it go.

"To hell with it," Logan decided throwing the sheet he'd been wrapped up in aside.

Whether Scott wanted it or not, Logan was going to go after him. He'd been well aware of the fact last night that Scott had missed his flight. Yes, perhaps it had been a bit deceptive with Logan's intentions, but after Logan had caught the time on the clock, he'd opted to entice Scott, to offer up temptation in it's fullest form just so that Scott wouldn't leave. It had worked especially given that Logan knew the next flight out to Scott's conference wouldn't be for a couple of hours. Armed with that knowledge, Logan kicked his feet out over the side of the bed ready to convince Scott to return. When he brought his foot down on the floor, however, he felt something start to crunch beneath his foot.

"What the…?" Logan blurted out, bending down to see a tiny, velvety box beneath his toes. Sliding his fingers down to the floor Logan reached for it, pulling it up for inspection. Although the box had been crushed, it seemed that whatever was inside was still alright. As Logan opened the box, he spotted the golden ring inside with a row of diamonds embedded in the band, sparkling and gleaming life despite the fact it's environment had been destroyed beyond repair. Pulling the ring out from within the case, Logan held it up in the air. It was remarkably stunning, impressive to those who were into such extravagance. It wasn't overly glittery or flashy, yet masculine enough to be something that someone like Logan could appreciate.

"What the hell?" he heard a voice inside of his head chastise him for even indulging the thought of appreciating such a flashy token of someone's appreciation. Curious, he dropped the ring into his palm to roll it around. It was then that Logan was hit by Scott's scent. Scott had touched it. He'd fingered it quite a bit before Logan had discovered it. In fact…

Logan raised the ring in the air again seeing there was an inscription upon it, something in a script font. Stretching out across the bed, Logan reached for the lamp on the nightstand, turning it on and discovering the hidden message.

"L, I'll always be safe with you. S," Logan read aloud realizing that the ring was intended for him. Why he hadn't seen it before that moment was beyond him, but now as Logan stared at the ring, realizing it's symbolism, it all made sense. The flowers, the candles, the ridiculously overplayed fairy tale setup hadn't been setting the mood for Scott's taking the reigns of passion, but rather Scott had been building up to a flowery declaration of something more. He'd been hoping to present Logan with the ring and…

"He was trying to…" Logan's eyes widened, an unfamiliar feeling hitting him in the center of his chest. It was then that Logan found himself contemplating what Scott was trying to do. Scott had taken it upon himself to take a chance, to build up to the ultimate risk in making a commitment to Logan. The ring symbolized just that. It was a token of Scott's appreciation in their partnership, a token of ownership and affection. Guiltily Logan set the ring down on the top of the nightstand wondering if Scott had changed his mind-if Logan had embarrassed him into silence. It seemed as if that had been the case, but now as Logan sat frozen staring at the ring as if it was the key to unlocking all the mysteries in the universe he found himself at a loss.

xxxxx

Scott walked through the front door of his estate knowing that he didn't have a lot of time for planning. This spur of the moment decision would be one that he would have to quickly get things in order for if he was going to make it back to the hotel in time to meet Logan. Although he'd packed a small suitcase for his trip for work, it wasn't going to be what he needed to return to the school. He'd decided to pack a few other things that would come in handy to make up for what he'd been lacking physically. Heading to his weapons room, he prepared to bring a little back up with him when his bandaged hand started to itch. Stopping mid-movement, Scott looked to the ridiculous white, hospital issued dressing he'd still been wearing. It was something that had been bothering him most of the night even if he knew he had to keep his hand protected.

"Always look out for any signs of infection," the doctor had explained upon Scott's release, but he hadn't really given a damn. His hand hadn't carried any feeling with it when he'd been released and given what the nurses had been whispering about, he'd wondered if he'd even be able to use it again. That had concerned him in wondering what would come of his ability to function normally, but not enough to make Logan feel guilty over what had taken place. Losing his hand was nothing in comparison to losing Logan again. However, much to his surprise Scott was relieved to see early on once he'd returned home that his fingers still retained motion. They actually worked rather well over the last few days despite the tingling and pain that flared up every so often. Still, unable to ignore the itching heat radiating in his palm, Scott headed to the bathroom ready to clean the wound again.

"And then it's time for new beginnings," Scott mouthed to himself entering the bathroom. He reached for the first aid kit filled with the ointments and antibiotics the hospital had prescribed for him. He hated the regiment, but he would stick to it if it meant minimizing the scars. Reaching for the oversized, dirty white bandage, he tore at the side, peeling it away from his hand when he heard a crashing sound from the direction of the kitchen. At first he thought he'd imagined it, wondering if he'd set his keys on the edge of the counter causing them to fall, but it didn't sound like his keys.

"Damn it," he cursed again reaching for a new bandage to quickly cover his hand with. However, when his blue eyes fell upon the smooth, flawless skin of his palm, he found himself at a loss.

"What the…?" Scott raised his hand up in the air seeing that the stitches and wound were no longer embedded in his skin. The smoothness of his palm's texture was back to normal, returned to the state it had been in before the incident with Logan. Unable to believe what he was seeing Scott raised his hand in the air, turning his palm around to see that the top of his hand was healed as well.

"That's not possible," he frowned thinking about what he knew about his healing abilities. Never before even with his powers could he have recovered at the rate his hand seemed to have shifted back to normal. It wasn't logical or reasonable to think that the injury was gone completely, yet as Scott wiggled his fingers he had undisputable proof before his blue eyes. Everything was perfect, better then it was before, he realized. His fingertips wiggled freely, palm clenched and opened with a fluidity that wouldn't indicate that he'd ever experienced any kind of trauma. Reaching out to touch the center of his palm, memorizing it's unblemished lines, he was at a loss.

"Funny thing about people who feel safe in their own homes," a voice roused him from his stunned contemplations, "They never think about the importance of home security or locking the door behind them."

Hearing the sound of the voice Scott stiffened, his eyes closing involuntarily despite the knowledge that he should be doing something more. Horror prickled at the back of his neck, tingling and jabbing at his skin, causing him to stand in stunned realization. It was then that the nightmares crashed over him, taking him back to that place he'd been in during his youth. He was in that cold room, frightened and aching, ready to escape, yet…

The eyes were upon him, the razors ripping into the skin of his chest. His pulse quickened, heart pounding furiously in a race to get out of the situation when the larger man circled him. Scott had wanted to run, to flee from the situation, but he'd been strapped down to a table being experimented on. He could feel their needles still in his arms, but it was the claw-like nails that truly cut him down. He'd cried out, too terrified to be humiliated by the pain. It only seemed to further entice his tormenter with his misery, drawing out another series of violent torment until finally…

"You," Scott spat out, his blue eyes snapping open once again to see the dark, sadistic features of the man towering in the doorway to the bathroom. It was then that the nightmare began to manifest itself in Scott's new life. No longer was the nightmare just a trick of terror his mind played upon him. It wasn't something he could run away from when the reality came crashing down upon Scott that it was a glimpse of his past. It was a horrific event that he'd not only survived, but wanted to bury away forever somehow in his troubled mind. For a great many years he had, but after Jean had stripped him of his powers it had been filtering back-now it was becoming clearer with each passing second.

"You remember me," his voice taunted with a flicker of delight in his tone. He entered the bathroom, hovering over Scott with an air of menace in his tone, "and here I thought that you'd be more inclined to make this less interesting for us."

"Stay away from me!" Scott warned feeling more flashes of his nightmare coming to life. He could remember being chased, being hunted down at the school until finally the man before him had pounced attacking Scott and rendering him powerless. Only unlike before Scott didn't have any real hopes of a backup plan. His mutation was gone. He couldn't fight back.

"Or what?" his former attacker wiggled his brow suggestively, ready to inflict the horrors upon Scott that he'd experienced in his nightmares all over again.

"You don't want to know," Scott stood up taller, puffing out his chest defiantly. He felt the man make a lunge towards him, attempting to capture Scott, but his reflexes were on overload. Scott ducked out of his reach racing into the hallway, seeking out the gun that he'd pulled out when Wendy had arrived the other day. It was just a few feet away, a mere stretch of an arm's length out of his reach when Scott felt a thunderous roar overhead. It was followed by an avalanche of power striking down on him, sending him into the floor, broken and powerless all over again.

"You're not going to get away with what you did to him," his intruder promised bringing a sharp, pointed nail into the base of Scott's throat. He dug it in, drawing blood at the base of Scott's neck before nefarious laughter surrounded Scott, filling his ears and throat with terror. "I should've killed you when I had the chance the first time."

"What do you want from me…?" Scott whimpered finding himself back in that position his nightmares had taken him to time and time again. He was helpless and broken afraid for what was to follow. Even though time had passed, the years hadn't erased the darkness. It couldn't stop him from succumbing to it when he felt the blood trickling down over his neck onto the white carpeting beneath him.

"Why it's quite clear. I want to destroy you," laughter surrounded Scott, spilling over his every synapse until finally blackness engulfed Scott taking him from any hope of escape.

xxxxx

Logan stared at the ring, unable to take his eyes off of it long after he'd discovered it. Everything about it was something he'd fought like hell to avoid. It was like a noose around a man's neck to settle into commitment, to bring himself into something that required work. A relationship was trouble, disaster waiting to happen, yet in thinking about how Scott was clearly hoping to solidify what the two of them had with one another, Logan couldn't help, but be touched by it. It was absolutely unlike him to feel this eager for the idea of what if, but after last night perhaps what if wasn't so bad. Yes, he hadn't ever wanted to be domesticated, but would a life with Scott really be so bad? Reaching for the ring again, he toyed around with the notion of trying it on when he spotted a paper crumpled up on the floor. Setting the ring aside, he climbed out of bed, walking over to collect the rumpled page. Knowing Scott it would be an outline of the proposal that Scott would clearly be outlining for a commitment between them.

Amused laughter rumbled in Logan's throat wondering what kind of sentimentalities Scott would have penned to perfection on the page, but before Logan could find his curiosities answered, he felt an intruder in the room. Immediately Logan's thoughts returned to his dream, to Jean's warning, but that couldn't have been real. Her orders had come from his subconscious mind's ponderings over Scott's guilt. Jean's manifestation was undoubtedly from Logan's last encounter with her, from the torturous situation he'd endured when he'd believed Jean had ripped Scott from his life. It was a culmination of all of Scott's shameful declarations that their love had destroyed Jean when Logan knew full well that wasn't the case. Logan had seen Jean's wrath when Phoenix emerged. It had been her cross to bear and they'd all suffered for it. Scott and the Professor the most, but now, with a uneasiness prickling over him, Logan realized his concerns weren't about Jean. They were centering from something else. Something darker that couldn't have been Jean's memory or…

Logan stopped himself from focusing on the dream when there was a very real threat in the room surrounding him. Looking over his shoulder Logan tried to place it, but the person was gone. The scent, however, remained expanding in the palm of his hand. He looked to the page, unrolling the paper to see a sloppy note scrawled with Scott promising get packed up quickly and to return with Logan to the school. Scott asked Logan to wait for him, assuring Logan that Scott would return as soon as possible, but when Logan looked to the time he knew something was wrong. In all of his time knowing Scott punctuality was at the top of his list. Scott was the type of man to be fifteen minutes earlier to avoid any kind of stress from being tardy. Scott was always prompt in his timing…ahead of the game for as far back as Logan could remember except for the time when Jean…

"No," Logan breathed with worry bristling over him. He reached for the phone on the nightstand and dialed Scott's number. Scott didn't answer which indicated that something was wrong. That awareness crashed in over him like a ton of bricks. Raising the paper to his face in a panic, Logan knew the foul stench of trouble was in the air, menace and pain was burning Logan's senses when realization overtook him.

"Scott!" Logan roared knowing only too well whomever had been in the room when Logan hadn't been paying attention was out for blood-more specifically Scott's blood. They were out on a sadistic rush, preparing to take away the one thing that meant the most to Logan just as they had before. Logan closed his eyes fighting his senses, struggling with the familiar scent when a memory overtook him, sending him back to a place he'd never anticipated finding again.

"Victor," Logan gasped feeling his subconscious filled with a single, fleeting memory. While it wasn't much, the emotion attached to it was enough to paint a picture in Logan's mind, one that was filled with pain and heartbreak. It was loaded with devastation and suffering all wrapped into one. If he wasn't careful it would be the key to his undoing and in knowing only too well that now more than ever Scott's life was in danger. He only hoped it wasn't too late to save him!


	10. Chapter 10

Storm hadn't been happy to hear Logan's voice on the phone. In fact, Logan had felt that she was preparing to tell him off in the misguided notion that he had taken back his promise to return to the school. She had been armed for a battle of words with him, but what she hadn't been anticipating was the truth. A part of Logan had felt guilty over revealing it, but he couldn't take it back. He couldn't deny the fact that Scott was still alive any longer especially now that Scott could be in danger. Storm had many questions, but didn't push them upon Logan. She'd offered to help, to come out and see deal with what was happening, but Logan urged her to stay with the children-to keep a watch over things until he was certain that Scott was alright. Judging by the fact Scott hadn't answered his phone, Logan was certain he wasn't.

"Where are you…?" Logan questioned pulling up into the driveway to Scott's house. While he'd improvised in stealing a parked car outside of the hotel to get him back to Scott's house, it proved to be a challenge to make it move as fast as he'd wanted it to. When he raced up the driveway he'd ended up crashing it into the oversized iron fence outside of Scott's property, but it didn't matter. Nothing did when worry for Scott consumed him. Now hopping over the fence, Logan scaled it's walls, sprinting towards the house in a desperate rush to find Scott and protect him.

"Please don't let this end bad," Logan mouthed under his breath almost to the back of the house when he noticed someone on the back porch. Although he couldn't take in their scent clearly, he recognized the dark hair and the face of the woman in the trench coat.

"Wendy," Logan snarled thinking about the woman that had pursued Scott. While Logan hadn't seen her car in the drive, he began to ponder what she was up to again after Logan's blatant dismissal of her. It was unsettling to see her sliding open the back door to Scott's home sneaking inside. At the same time, however, she provided him with an easy access to Scott's place, giving him the opportunity to walk inside without the effort it would take to crash through the window. Rushing across the lawn, he pushed his way in behind Wendy preparing to confront her on her actions in his quest to find Scott. However, when he entered the kitchen off of the deck, he'd lost track of her, feeling himself prevented from following her scent.

"There you are," a voice called out to him, catching him off guard when he looked to the hallway before him seeing Scott standing in the doorway near the bedroom. He was wrapped up in a navy colored robe, wearing the wire rimmed glasses Logan had seen him in at the airport. There was a goofy grin on his face when he stepped forward addressing Logan with a smirk, "I was wondering when you'd be back…"

"Scott?" Logan questioned wearily feeling that something was off even though Scott was standing before him. For some reason Logan's sensory perception was playing tricks with his head, taking him from his normal ability to sense what was happening around him. Something had changed, someone was blocking him even as Scott took another step forward, "What's going on?"

"Not much sexy," Scot's blue eyes issued him a ravenous once over. His tongue darted out beyond his lower lip, the tip flicking in an involuntary brush over the plump flesh, "What about you?"

"You didn't answer your phone," Logan noted wearily, "Why is that?"

"I had a guest," Scott tugged at the sash on his robe, his blue eyes searching Logan's through the distance between them, "and I found myself a bit sidetracked."

"By your guest?" Logan raised a skeptical brow.

"That's right," Scott nodded taking another tentative step towards him, "but I'm sure if you'd prefer I can have her be on her way so that you and I can get some alone time with one another."

"Her?" Logan repeated feeling a warmth coil over his body. Distrust clouded his mind, his thoughts filled with the vision he'd seen before sneaking into Scott's home.

Scott nodded, "I'm sure you saw her arrive a few minutes ago. She and I had some catching up to do and…"

"Wendy?" Logan mouthed suspiciously.

"Right," Scott nodded again, his blue eyes giving Logan a long, contemplative once over, "she wanted to talk about what happened with us the other night."

"Did she now?" Logan questioned with a forward motion.

"She was upset with me, with us," Scott continued folding his arms in front of his chest, "She felt betrayed by what happened the other night."

"She has no reason to feel betrayed," Logan took another step forward when familiarity had overtaken him. Whatever had played with his head, rendering him senseless was gone, giving way to his primal instincts.

"Any woman would feel betrayed when the object of her obsession is unavailable," Scott's eyes darted over Logan once again in a predatory fashion. "It's downright disappointing to know that the fantasy you've stewed over will never be."

"She'll get over it," Logan shrugged his shoulders, his teeth clenching in the beginnings of a snarl.

"No woman gets over it especially when they want what they want and will go to great lengths to make it happen," Scott's eyes flickered with lust, with want and need when his eyes met Logan's in a challenge. He wiggled a suggestive brow before Logan rushed forward.

"Bullshit," Logan snarled reaching out he seized Scott by the arm, yanking him in closer with a wrenching tug, "What are you doing here?"

"I told you Wendy and I are…" Scott's grin twisted, transforming to a mischievous smirk when Logan slammed him up against the wall, eyes unrelenting in their questioning.

"Wendy's not here," Logan growled raising his fist up to the front of Scott's face. The claws began to reveal themselves when he wrapped his other hand around Scott's neck, "and neither is Summers. What have you done with him?"

"Logan," laughter rolled from Scott's lips, "you really need to learn to calm down. Hell, had I known back then that this body turned you on…well, I would've found a way to reinvent myself in order to use this to our advantage."

Logan's brow tensed, lip curling in realization when the vision of Scott before him transformed to the indigo, scaly textured skin that belonged to the woman before him. She laughed wildly, arching her head back just enough to expose her neck to him. Her golden colored eyes stole the blue depths away from the vision of Scott that she'd conjured up moments earlier. Her laughter mocked Logan, taunting him as his hold on her neck intensified.

"Had I known that this is what you wanted I could've made it so good for us Wolverine. I could've indulged every single fantasy you had over your little plaything. You could've been as rough with me as you wanted considering that unlike him I don't break. I could've taken you to places you've never experienced before," she mouthed in a seductive purr, her eyes meeting his in a predatory fashion. "I still could if you're up for it…"

"Not in this lifetime," Logan's claws spilled out, sliding centimeters away from one of her wide eyes. He leaned forward, squeezing her neck tighter than before, "start talking. Where's Scott?"

"I don't know," she answered stiffly, her words arrogant and winded. He clamped his hand down tighter around her neck and she gasped, "I don't know."

"You lie!" he snarled at her, having no qualms about destroying her if need be.

"You should be able to sense the truth yourself," she gulped, feeling him press down on the base of her throat. "There's blood on the floor, which I strongly suspect belongs to your lover. I would imagine he was abducted from here not far from this very spot…"

"Abducted," Logan repeated taking in the same familiar, dark scent that had been present at the hotel room. With Mystique in his grasp, he knew it wasn't her. It couldn't be when the other scent carried over him, causing him to react in a violent curl of his fingers over her neck.

"Stop," she finally gulped writhing and twisting against the wall. She brought her hand up, feeling defenseless when she began to transform into a vision of Jean, "Please Logan…"

"Don't," he warned with a snarl.

"Don't hurt me," she shifted into Scott, bringing back his blue eyes again, but unlike the real Scott, her eyes were devoid of the love and the sparkle behind them. Still she caught him off guard for a split second, "Please don't hurt me. You know that you couldn't live with killing your lover when you've risked everything to be with him."

"You're not Summers," Logan prepared to tear her head off if need be. He pressed the tip of his claw to the base of her throat, "start talking!"

"Fine," she relented with a nervous breath, "I'm looking for Magneto."

"Magneto?" he repeated giving her a long once over. "Why would you come here? He's in a retirement home where…"

"Where what?" she laughed defiantly, "Where he would live out his days being repressed and helpless after you and your team had hoped to use their 'cure' to torture him?"

"He needed to be stopped," Logan defended his actions remembering all that had happened leading to Magneto's ultimate ending in being stripped of his powers.

"You fool," she roared with laughter, her words growing darker when her golden eyes met his again, "He can't ever be stopped because he's too strong, too powerful. We all are."

"Is that right?" Logan taunted with amusement in his tone, "Because I happened to watch him go down like a dog before me when…"

"That's what they thought about me too Logan," she transformed again, turning into a mirror image of Logan himself, "but you can't hold an immortal down for long without them finding a way to crawl back out of the mess that the dying world has made around them."

"I don't understand," Logan revealed knowing only too well that she shouldn't be before him with her powers. He twisted at her neck again, finding himself uneasy with the mirror image of himself before him. She gasped, shifting into her natural form all over again, red hair framing her face in the moment.

"Their so called cure was like everything else the humans have failed at. They weren't able to rip our rights from us as they'd hoped," she smiled triumphantly, "their attempts to eradicate us have blown up in their faces now that we are back stronger than ever."

"Magneto as well?" Logan couldn't help but ask, wondering if somehow Magneto had played a hand in Scott's destruction or even the break in at the school.

"Soon," she nodded with a wild, angry laugh, "but those bastards you forced him to are keeping him from me. They moved him away before I could get him out of his containment…"

"Moved him," Logan paused loosening his grip on her ever so slightly, "you mean…?"

"The same people who took your precious Cyclops have Magneto as well. That much I'm sure of as they have been seeking out mutants that had experienced the change," Mystique informed him with a raw honesty in her tone.

"The change?" Logan questioned wearily.

She nodded, "You know mutants like me that they wanted to destroy, but couldn't. They are curious to understand how we can lose our powers, yet regain them and be rejuvenated when they drop like flies to disease and destruction. Magneto's power is unmatched by any other, so naturally he was one of many they are hoping to study-to be there when he experiences the rebirth of his power…"

"And Scott?" Logan asked searching her deceptive eyes.

"He's an anomaly to them," she explained in a tight whisper, "He wasn't brutalized with their 'cure', but rather he was taken down by one of his own. He never should've survived, but he did. He faced down something that they could never explain. They have no clue what will happen to him when he comes around or if…"

"Comes around," Logan repeated taking in her words, "are you saying that he could be…"

"A mutant again?" she finished for him with a wicked smirk teasing over the corners of her mouth, "Something like that undoubtedly has crossed their minds given their lack of control over Jean Grey's powers, but if they can find a way to stop it-to stop him, then they feel that they can use what saved him to destroy us. Their last cure was a failure, but with Magneto and your lover under their microscopes they could be successful in their next attempt. Your plaything will be their latest test subject as he was before."

"Before," Logan repeated with confusion behind his eyes.

"You really don't remember, do you?" she laughed icily, her lips curving downward with disgust, "I'd almost feel sorry for you if you weren't so pitiful. The things that they did to you…"

"What do you know?" Logan stiffened at her words. "Where is Scott?"

"He's about to be served up on a platter to the same men who wanted to steal everything from the both of you-from the people that you fought to forget when your memory was erased," she taunted him further, her eyes glowing through the shadows in the room. "Magneto told me all about what happened to you-to the both of you. He spilled all about what Charles fought to keep from you. It was a very interesting tale of the mighty Wolverine's great fall, but now it seems that you'll experience it all over again when they tear your lover to pieces with their poking and prodding. The things they did to him the first time were horrendous, but now, well now I'm sure they will be unyielding in their approach."

"The first time. What are you talking about? Scott doesn't have his powers. There's no indication that…" Logan tried to process what she was saying to him.

"As I said his case is rare because he never should've survived Phoenix. It's something that they want to exploit because deep inside of him they believe he holds the key to something more that they can use against us. Like the egomaniacs they are, they feel they can claim their own victory. They feel his survival was due to the torture that was inflicted upon him years ago, but at the same time they want to exploit it. Yes, he might be what those idiots consider normal for now, but he'll change soon enough. He'll evolve into something more and when he does they're going to use him to destroy all of us," she took in a labored breath, "Given what he survived and endured how could he not become one of the chosen few? The force he fought off was unlike anything any of us had ever known and…"

"So…what? So you're saying someone's been targeting Scott for a while? Seeking him out to destroy him?" Logan questioned worriedly, his fears mounting over the man he loved.

"Exploit him," she repeated again, "and they'll start by having him up against Magneto. They'll try to have them destroy one another should their powers return to them. Magneto's the strongest one, so…"

"So what?" Logan's lip curved in a frown, "You were aware of this for some time and what? You came out here to warn Scott? To try to give us a head's up on what was happening before they came after him?" Logan pressed her further in the hopes of getting a straight answer out of her.

"I didn't give a damn what they do to him," she shot back icily, "He isn't my concern, but Magneto is. I'm here because I plan to find the bastards that have him and make them suffer a long torturous road until they beg death for the inconvenience they've caused me."

"Sounds poetic," Logan noted with a tip of his head to the side.

"I thought so," she shot back icily, a sadistic smirk overtaking her blue features. She leaned back into the wall, her body relaxing in the thought that surrounded her, "It felt appropriate given the situation."

"I'm sure," Logan rolled his eyes at her, unable to ignore his worry about Scott.

"Regardless, I tracked him here by following you," she continued ignoring the sarcasm in his tone. "I'm sure that's how they found him as well given that he's been under their radar for a while. However, once I knew they'd taken Magneto, it was only a matter of time before they found their way to Cyclops. You simply pushed it along further in joining him."

"You're saying that I…" Logan frowned in realization.

"You were the best tracker they had without you even realizing it," she nodded not bothering to be gentle in her approach, "You were the push they needed to get Cyclops off of his game, out of touch with the danger he'd been fearing. Being at ease made the both of you weak and now, well now if you ever want to see him again, it seems time for us to step up and deal with the situation."

"What situation is it that you think we should be dealing with exactly?" Logan asked wearily releasing her. Although he didn't trust her or her motivations, he knew full well that he could destroy her if need be. He leaned back against the opposite wall, his mouth scowling back at her. "Considering I don't trust you, I hardly think that there is any 'we' involved."

"You don't have to trust me because I normally would have no use for you," she stated plainly, her words cool and collected despite the volatile nature of the distrust between them. "As much as it pains me I've come to the realization that together we can penetrate their fortress, claim Magneto and Cyclops and destroy those who want to destroy us."

"Just that easy, right?" Logan mouthed with a thick air of skepticism in his tone. Still as his eyes lingered to the blood on the carpeting, he felt a spike of fear pitted in his stomach over what was happening to Scott.

"Given that they have who we are looking for," she shrugged her shoulders, "I'm certain given our nature we both want them back. We team up, get inside and then if need be you go your way, I'll go mine."

"It sounds like a legitimate arrangement. I have no intention of trusting you, but if it will bring Scott back, then I suppose our tagging along with one another for now can't hurt," Logan conceded thinking about the terror that had guided him to Scott's home. Though Mystique was doing her best to sell Logan on something, he wasn't all that convinced of the truth in her words…yet.

"You know more than you think you do. They tried to lock it away inside of you, but it's there," she gave him a long once over as if she'd read his thoughts, "Deep down you just don't want to own up to it yet."

"What about you? You know more than you're letting on. You seem to be well versed on what's been brewing for a while, long before you made your way out here. So tell me where are they being held? Who has them exactly?" Logan demanded an answer. He tipped his head to see the bloodstains on the white carpeting. It was enough to send shivers over him with worry, but before he could reveal his fears, she interrupted his thoughts.

"Someone you know how to put down. Someone that you would rather enjoy seeking vengeance on," she informed him with a strong, steady breath, "The person who took them is someone that will need you to take care of them, but I don't imagine it will be a problem given that you'll be out for blood now that they've taken your lover."

"Where?" Logan questioned impatiently. "That seems to be the one detail that you keep overlooking in all of this."

"I was hoping you could help me with that answer," she met his eyes in a challenge, "Rumor has it you know where they are because you have been there before. That's part of why I've been following you around, looking for a way to get the answers I need from you."

"I don't know anything about where they could be," Logan argued finding himself straining for answers.

"On the contrary you know everything and if you stop hiding behind the walls that were thrown up in your mind, you can save them," she took a bold step forward, her eyes searching his once again, "together we can save them."

"I don't know where to look," Logan pondered the notion knowing that so many things were locked from his mind. Still as he thought back to the scent in the hotel room, to the fear that had consumed him, surrounding him by danger, he turned to the blood on the floor again, "Victor."

"Victor," she repeated raising a curious brow, "Victor Creed."

"Creed," Logan looked over his shoulder at her once again, "You know of him?"

"You know him far better than I do," she nodded simply, "but perhaps you'll return to that with a little prompting."

Before he could respond, she shifted before him, body twisting and coiling until there was a man standing before him. It's manifestation brought forth Logan's rage and anger, knowing in his every instinct that Victor was the reason he was suffering. He lunged forward involuntarily, preparing to strike when Mystique quickly shifted again, returning to herself in a gasp when Logan's claws slashed out at him.

"It's me," she quickly ducked down, twisting away from him before he could stab her, "but this is a good start. This shows you're remembering."

"I don't know how I could forget," Logan felt his pulse racing, his heart hammering in his chest. He turned to the blood again knowing of Victor's sick, sadistic nature, there wasn't a doubt in his mind that Victor had left him a breadcrumb to follow. Crouching down on the floor, Logan took in the deep, thick aroma of Scott's scent mixed in with the congealing blood on the floor. He reached out to touch it feeling the warmth cooling on his fingers in the moment.

"Scott's alive," a voice in the back of his mind bristled through him, giving him hope to where his lover could be. That same voice knew that Victor wouldn't be anything, but relentless with Scott. Victor would destroy Scott, tearing him to pieces in his own agenda without conforming to wishes of those who were exploiting now working to mutant powers. Scott's abduction had been personal, clouded by a dark agenda, but still Logan knew time was of the essence. He tipped his head to the side, taking in the faint, lingering scent of horror that had carried over Scott in the moments he'd been blindsided. Victor thrived on torturing him. It surrounded Logan and as Logan noticed the blood trailing off towards the wall, he felt another fear overtake him.

"What is it?" Mystique questioned watching Logan stand upright all over again, eyes focused on a new stain on the wall before him.

"Come find me," he read aloud seeing Scott's blood scribbled sloppy across the paint, clearly the message Victor hoped would prompt Logan to react. Instinctively Logan's claws expelled from his body, anger surging through his every synapse now that the rage had been awakened. He snarled, ready to tear his old rival to pieces when he looked to Mystique once again, "I know where they are."


	11. Chapter 11

The scent of cigar smoke was overwhelmingly intoxicating as Scott opened his eyes, discovering that he was no longer in his home. Instead he was in the Professor's office, standing on the opposite side of the desk where a large, oversized chair was turned away from him. Taking a step forward Scott's thoughts were of Logan, of the thick rush of thrill that was associated with the man Scott loved. The cigar smoke had to be Logan, yet how were they already at the school again? How had they returned without Scott noticing? Where had the time gone? How could he be…?

"Scott," a familiar voice beckoned him from his silent questioning. At first he'd anticipated Logan or even Charles, but when the chair swung around, he was met by Jean's eyes upon him. Gasping he took a step back.

"Jean," Scott tried to mute his surprise, but it was no use as she stood up, pushing herself into his mind, "how…how can you be here?"

"You didn't really think that I would disappear forever, did you Scott?" she asked telepathically, her thoughts channeling into him and making him increasingly uncomfortable. He brought his hands up over his head in an attempt to push her out of his mind, but it was no use.

"You need to relax," she shook her head at him. Her lips curved upward in the beginnings of a smirk, "this isn't going to hurt anymore."

"It's never stopped hurting Jean," Scott tossed back at her painfully, "I'm sorry that I caused you pain for the things I've done, but don't you think I've suffered enough? Can't you see that you've stolen so many things from me that I'll never be able to recover?"

"I didn't steal anything from you that you can't recover from Scott. You've always had everything you ever needed inside of you," her features softened, her words becoming more gentle, softer. Her lips parted finally pulling herself out of his mind now that she stood before him, "Scott, I never meant to harm you."

"Jean," he spoke her name faintly, feeling her stroke the side of his face. He closed his eyes taking in the movement as her fingers tapered off into his hair. His thoughts returned to Logan, to being with the man who made him so very happy, but guilt invaded him, ripping the thought from his brain. Reopening his eyes he saw Jean again, right beside him, lips hovering over his in a breath of a whisper away from his mouth, "please…"

"I know you love him Scott. Your heart showed me that from the start, but I didn't want to believe," she whispered, her breath striking against his cheek, down over the crease opening his mouth, "I felt it long before you were his."

"I'm sorry," Scott sighed, overtaken by the guilt he'd experienced in moving on into love with Logan. While he wished that he could say something to comfort Jean it was the only thing that felt appropriate in the moment. His feelings for her were always special to him, but his love for Logan was so much more a part of who he truly was. He only wished he could've seen it before promising her a future in their time together.

"I know you are. Given your heart, how could you not be? I know how much you wanted to make everyone happy for so long Scott," she nodded, her words softening further with each caress her finger made upon the hollow of his cheekbone.

"I tried so hard," he answered somberly dropping his head down, "all I wanted was for us all to have peace and…"

"You're a good man Scott. That's why I loved you," she continued in a smooth, soothing tone. Her words carried over him, caressed every part of him in a loving embrace before she coaxed him to meet her eyes again. "It's why a part of me will always love you."

"Jean," Scott opened his mouth to say something, anything that would take away from all the mistakes he'd made. If only he could've been stronger. If only he could've found a way to prevent disaster from overtaking them all…

"It's time to let go Scott," she whispered against him. The vibrations of her voice ringing through his ears. She tangled her hand through his hair gently, coaxing him to lean in closer to her. She arched up pressing a chaste kiss against his mouth, "I forgive you."

"You mean…?" he began at a loss feeling her moving away from him.

"I just hope one day you can find it in your heart to forgive me for how I deceived you Scott," she touched the side of his face, her eyes wounded and sad in the moment, "I know how much I've hurt you, but I wanted to do what was right. I needed to cause you pain to save him."

"Logan?" Scott questioned seeing the way that her face tightened at his word. Suddenly they were back at the water again, revisiting the place where life had dramatically changed for the both of them.

"I'm too dangerous. I'm out of control and I knew it long before you found me. He deserved so much better. We deserved so much more," Jean's words were broken, her eyes clouding over with tears, "We should've given him that Scott. You have to give him a chance…an opportunity to have what we couldn't give him."

"Jean, you're not making sense," Scott blinked back at her. She opened her mouth, lips moving, but no words came out, "Jean, I can't hear you…"

"The best thing we ever did together Scott," her words echoed in his mind, "I know…never regret…"

"Jean," Scott felt her pulling away from him. There was something on her face, something inside of her causing her skin to glow. He moved forward sensing danger, but she kept sliding backwards towards the water.

"You have to escape," her words echoed in his mind, "You're strong. You need to break free of this nightmare. You still have your powers inside of you. You have to…"

"Jean," he called out to her again, trying to reach out to her in the haze.

"Save him Scott. Find him…protect him. He needs you…please…" Jean's head tipped back and she let out a loud shrill of a scream. Fire exploded in the sky causing a blinding light to surround Scott. It sent him to his knees and then in an instant everything was gone. There was only darkness.

"Jean!" Scott screamed through the darkness, terror coiling through his body now that he'd awakened with a start uncertain of where he was. He was still surrounded by thick blackness, a sour, musty aroma surrounding him. He stretched his fingers out feeling the floor beneath him. It was cold, dirty, textured and rough at his fingertips. Wherever he was, he was certain it was the last place he or anyone else wanted to be.

Pulling himself up off of the ground, Scott thought back to the chain of events before he'd awakened. He could remember being with Logan, leaving the hotel room to pack and then…

"Victor," Scott mouthed remembering the face of the man who had blindsided him. Now as Scott felt a throbbing ache in his head, he tried to process what was happening to him. He could remember going for the gun, trying to run away and being caught. He could remember the nails, the torment and the scratch across the base of his throat. Bringing his hand up Scott expected to feel the roughness of his wound, but like with his hand earlier the skin was smooth, free of any type of blemish.

"What's going on?" Scott questioned quietly, hearing the sound of footsteps approaching. They were enough to bring him back to reality, to the fear that Victor was returning to finish the job he'd started back in the house. Thinking about Jean's encouraging words on escaping, Scott wondered if that was even an option.

Feeling around his cell, Scott stood in the back, his mind reeling with notions about where he could go, about what he could do to find a way out, but before he could come up with a strategy the door to his cell opened and Victor stood before him. With angry eyes, Victor marched forward seizing Scott by the collar and dragging him out of the room. Scott tried to break out of his grasp, but he was met by the feel of Victor's fist buried in the side of his face. Blood pooled in the back of his throat upon impact, pain reverberating through him when he fell limp in Victor's grasp. Scott coughed, lowering his head and resigning himself to his fate when Victor dragged him down a long, darkened hallway.

"Did you really think you stood a chance in hell of making it out of this alive?" Victor's voice taunted menacingly. He continued to slide Scott over the cold, stone floor before stopping in front of an oversized metal door. "Jimmy might've lost his mind, but he's certainly not going to stay that way because of you."

"Logan's going to find me," Scott exhaled deeply, finding the strength to speak up against the man who had taken him away from the safety and security of his home.

"I fully intend on that happening," Victor mouthed kicking open the door. He threw Scott over his shoulder, carrying him into the room and tossing him onto a cold, metal, reclining chair. Within a matter of seconds Scott was strapped down to it covered in thick strips of metal. They clasped around his wrists, seized his ankles, squeezed at his chest, abdomen and wrapped around the top of his head. He twisted and fought against the restraints, but it was no use.

"This time we don't have to worry about a blindfold," Victor mused enthusiastically, pulling Scott from his moment of protest. Reaching out to squeeze Scott's cheeks tightly, he forced Scott to meet his eyes again, "This time you're going to be able to relish in every single second of the exquisite torture I have planned for you. You won't miss a thing."

"You won't get away with this," Scott mouthed angrily, refusing to reveal the fear that consumed him with Victor hovering over him. Scott puffed out his chest knowing the motion made it harder to breathe, but there was no way in hell he was going to beg for mercy from a soulless monster. "Logan will hunt you down."

"When he arrives he'll realize that I liberated him. I freed him from the train wreck waiting to happen," Victor snarled, his jagged teeth revealing themselves through the darkness. He reached for a button reclining the chair back further so that Scott was stretched out before him, laid out like a buffet table, all his for the sadistic taking and torture that was right around the corner.

"He'll destroy you," Scott spat back at him, still defiant in his approach when Victor's nails expanded into thick, gnarled claws. Scott gulped watching Victor raise his hand in the air, centering in over Scott's chest gleefully.

"As long as he returns, I'll be happy that he's mine," Victor tore into Scott's chest, taking skin and fabric within his nails with the movement. He ripped into Scott's flesh, causing him to recoil with involuntary pain. Still Scott refused to scream, to cry out and give Victor the gratification he was seeking out. Amused Victor leaned in closer to him, "I see you've been practicing being brave boy, but we both know how that will end for you."

Scott glared up at him, spitting in Victor's face only to feel the nail dig deeper into the muscle between Scott's flesh, tearing and slashing inside Scott's body savagely. Scott's eyes rolled back into his head, his teeth sinking into his lip to refrain from screaming out. His fingers twisted, feet cramping with the restraints upon him, yet he remained silent.

"Do you really want to make this harder on yourself?" Victor dug deeper, the razor-sharp claws peeling at Scott's bloodied flesh.

"Go to hell!" Scott mouthed defiantly, his words coming out in a dark, rebellious fashion. He refused to back down, to give in to Victor's twisted desire for blood lust and pain.

"I should cut your tongue out," Victor seized Scott's face again, clenching it tighter than before, "Jimmy would certainly have no use for you after that. Then perhaps I'll go to your eyes and…"

Scott's pulse quickened, worry creeping over his body when Victor's nail pressed into the hollow of Scott's eye socket right above the bone. Still Scott kept his teeth over his lip, refusing to give in to his fears and reveal his weakness after all this time. Horrific images played in Scott's mind bringing him to the notion that he'd be surrounded by a world of darkness, yet he couldn't show his worries. He had to keep fighting silently.

"Pathetic," Victor moved his finger ever so slightly preparing to gouge out Scott's eye.

The dagger of a nail was a centimeter away from Scott's eye when Scott felt a warmth spill over his senses, carrying over his body and out into the room surrounding him. He winced feeling a throbbing, pounding pain inside of his head, over his limbs until finally he found himself in another time and place viewing the scene as an outsider looking in. There on the same chair Scott was strapped to now was a younger version of himself being tortured in the same fashion, tormented and broken by Victor. The lashings came into focus, the scrapes and the horrors, but soon it was replaced by something else…by the feeling of hope. He could feel his desperation shifting when a familiar voice surrounded him bringing him freedom.

The scene was hazy, but Scott started to see a group of young mutants running down a hallway much like the one he'd just been dragged down. They were searching for freedom, fighting to break away from the same torture Scott had been through. They were fleeing behind Scott working their way to freedom-to the safety that Charles was providing them with. Scott wanted to follow, to see where the road lead them, but deep down he already knew. He had lived it. He would be safe in that moment, but Logan…

"Logan," Scott mouthed to himself feeling the scene roll back to the moment when he'd been freed from his cell. His eyes widened, discovering that the man who had given him a second chance at survival was the man that he'd fallen in love with. There before him was an enraged Logan, furiously ripping away at the confinement Scott had been in with the others. He was offering them freedom in his quest for…

"Logan," Scott called out to him realizing that Logan couldn't hear him because this wasn't real. This wasn't happening in the moment, but when it had played out Scott knew he wouldn't have survived if it wasn't for Logan intervening and saving him. They'd been connected from that moment. Scott had owed Logan from that point on-had been indebted to the man who held his heart. Logan had saved him long before they'd known of each other. Why he hadn't realized it until now was beyond him, but as the missing pieces of Scott's time in confinement returned to him, he felt the puzzle becoming clearer.

Scott could recall being taken to the school, to having endured countless nightmares until Charles had promised to take them away. He'd seen Scott's pain, wanted to help the boy and in doing so, Charles had created a mental wall inside of Scott. Charles had used his powers to save Scott from the endless torture night after night when the memory of the horrific endeavor haunted Scott. Charles had blocked it all out to keep Scott's sanity in tact, yet in forgetting Scott lost his first memory of Logan. His mind had blocked Logan from his subconscious, but his body had never forgotten. His lust may have been a product of their second meeting, but Scott's loyalty to Logan began long before either one of them had realized it.

Returning to the torture of the present, Scott took a chance on freedom. Reaching his hand out from underneath the thick metal cuff, the tips of Scott's finger grazed Victor's leg, bringing with the movement a whole different set of memories. There was blood and violence, terror and wars and…

"Logan," Scott breathed opening his eyes to see everything played out before him in vivid color. Victor and Logan were brothers, teaming up to make the most of their existence long before they knew there was another option-that there were others. Scott felt the memories deep in Victor's mind, revealing themselves to Scott more and more with each second. They were growing up together from children, to men, to soldiers and finally they were part of an unscrupulous team working together until Logan had enough. Scott could see Logan tearing off his dog tags, walking away and enraging Victor. The fury evolved into something dangerous. It set Victor over the edge, causing him to create more torment and chaos until he and Logan experienced a confrontation that ended with…

"What are you doing? You were in my head just now," Victor jumped back, pulling away from Scott with a gasp. His eyes widened, surprise registering behind his features. He looked to a bloodied Scott as if he's seen him for the first time ever. Bringing one hand up over Scott's head Victor groaned, "What happened with you?"

"He's your brother," Scott realized twisting his head just enough to see the way he'd blindsided Victor in the moment. "You're angry because he turned his back on you…because he walked away from your madness and became something more…"

"Shut up!" Victor snarled at Scott. He lunged forward bringing his nail up against Scott's throat slashing violently. The blood started to pour out causing Scott to choke. It started dripping down upon the table, but almost as soon as it began it dried up, the wound closing itself much to the surprise of both men. Victor repeated the process again and again causing nothing more in Scott then a fleeting few seconds of blood loss. Finally frustrated Victor stepped back watching Scott in silent horror, "What are you now?"

"The key to your undoing if you don't let me go," Scott warned, his voice darker in the moment. "Logan will destroy you for this."

"I'll take my chances and see how it fairs when he arrives," Victor stepped back cautiously, "You, on the other hand, I'll leave you for them. They'll do you far worse than I ever could. I would've at least turned your pain to exquisite torture, but they, well they will destroy you mercilessly without the pleasure."

Scott's fury built, expanding inside of him when Victor walked out of the room leaving him strapped down to the metal table. His eyes closed, heat radiating through his body, ripping through every synapse until finally at long last a thunderous bolt of energy pressed through him. He twisted his head to the side focusing on the restraints on his wrists when the first blast of red exploded from the depths of his blue eyes. It shattered the metal, causing it to explode around his skin. At first Scott winced, overtaken by pain with tiny pieces of metal embedded in his arm, but just as what happened before the wound healed itself. His closed his eyes when he realized his hand was free. Immediately he moved his hand up to his head, pulling at the vice grip of the restraint upon it.

"Damn it," he cursed feeling the metal peel away from his face, chest and abdomen like paper. He sat upright thinking about the other restraints upon him.

Knowing that the blasts were now a part of him, Scott hesitated knowing the strength of his power. He could readily tear himself to pieces with the blasts, yet in sitting there blind, awaiting Victor's return, he could lose everything. Taking in a breath Scott turned his head to the side hoping it was enough to play it safe. He opened his eyes again, preparing to blast the metal off of his wrist, but nothing happened. He blinked a couple of times, realizing his eyes were back to what they once were. He looked to the reflection on the wall revealing the same blue eyes he'd gotten used to after he'd lost his powers. They hadn't changed, yet in thinking about what he'd done to free his hand, Scott found himself at a loss. He hadn't imagined it. He couldn't have. There was no other explanation for what had happened. Still remembering the surge of strength he'd possessed Scott reached out to his wrist preparing to slash the metal away when the rest of his restraints twisted and groaned in protest, ripping away from his body in the blink of an eye.

Not one to question his good fortune Scott leapt off of the table, ready to make a great escape. He rushed over to the door ready to flee at long last, but before he could exit, it flung open to reveal Magneto standing before him with an amused grin.

"It would seem you are full of surprises these days, now aren't you Cyclops?" Magneto questioned tossing a ruby visor over in Scott's general direction. Scott reached for it with lightening quick reflexes, catching it mid-movement, "Just in case."

"But…" Scott looked between the visor and the man before him.

"I think it's time for us to be making our exit, wouldn't you agree?" Magneto suggested in a smooth, even voice leading Scott to realize that nothing about the moment made sense. Turning his attention to the visor again, Scott felt a shiver overtake him. It had been a while since he'd needed it, since he'd been forced to use it, still in remembering what happened he wasn't sure he wanted to take a chance that this was a trick, a new manipulation to take him under.

"No thanks," Scott tossed the visor back at Magneto once again, "I don't need this anymore."

"On the contrary son," Magneto raised his hand up, using his power to fling the red visor back over in Scott's direction, "the longer we keep stalling the more you're going to need that to protect yourself as well as others."


	12. Chapter 12

"You're sure this is the place?" Mystique questioned stepping up behind Logan now that they'd found their way to the island that hosted the nuclear generator plant.

"This is the place," Logan nodded without hesitation, knowing only too well of the demons that surrounded the place. His subconscious had buried them for far too long, but when his mind was wrapped up around the idea of the past, it began to pour in, showing him all the horrible things that had taken place on this island. He'd been there before to confront Victor…to take revenge on them for killing his love. It was what had ignited his rage when his peace was taken from him. He'd been betrayed, manipulated and ultimately he'd been forced to face the future with having his past ripped away from him. This was the place where he began and ended all at the same time. It was his full circle and yet…

"Good, then let's go in there and destroy them, shall we?" Mystique stepped forward, her determination now running through her veins to finish her mission.

"Wait," Logan touched her arm, tensing up at what he knew to be on the inside. Even if Stryker was long gone, the memory still remained, the darkness still very much a part of his history. His past had twisted down a tragic road. He'd lost everything in this very place and yet, with the thoughts of Scott inside suffering, he knew that he couldn't walk away. Tipping his head to the side, he looked to Mystique again, "We can't just walk in there as is."

"Of course not my dear," she laughed wildly, transforming beside him into Victor. "Now we have what we need. Wouldn't you agree?"

"Just be sure to steer clear of my path once we get in there. We wouldn't want me mistaking you for the real thing," he snarled revealing his claws to her now that they were ready to begin a battle for his future.

"Why should I trust a thing you have to say?" Scott questioned wearily, his blue eyes searching through the darkness for something to defend himself against Magneto. He stood up taller, keeping his arms close to his body in the hopes that he would be able to challenge the man before him if need be.

"You have every reason in the world not to. Charles has taught you well in having you as his prodigy," Magneto confessed unable to hide his amusement, "but at the same time I could've simply left you here to rot considering Victor was rather eager to tear you to pieces."

"Why didn't you?" Scott asked firmly, feeling the memory of Victor's attack on him fresh in his mind. While what had transpired didn't make any sense, Scott's bloodied, ripped shirt was the only reminder of what had truly taken place. His muscled chest was smooth, flawless just as his hand and neck had been.

"Because as much as it pains me to admit defeat, I cannot press further on my task without you," Magneto rolled his eyes at Scott before motioning to the hallway. "If we have any intention of escaping with Charles, then we're going to have to stop discussing this and get going."

"Charles," Scott repeated with confusion overtaking his senses, "He's dead."

"No more than you and I are," Magneto gave Scott a long, approving once over, "You're far from dead and Charles…"

"He's here?" Scott stepped forward seeking out the truth in Magneto's words. Reaching out to seize the older man, Scott felt a flash of memories overtake him, pulling out a life that wasn't his. He could see Charles and Erik together, friends long before they were enemies and…

"Get back!" Magneto roared sending the metal ceiling beam crashing down to throw Scott across the room with a flick of his wrist. Scott flew back into the table again, his body shaken by the force of Magneto's power. "You aren't allowed to go inside my head. I don't know how you did that, but…"

"I don't know," Scott admitted feeling blood in the center of his lip. He took in a breath knowing the wound would erase itself in the moment.

"They did this to you," Magneto deduced with a tiny shudder, "which is all the more reason for us to leave."

"Where's Charles?" Scott questioned standing up taller. He approached Magneto once again, contemplating reaching for him when something else overtook him. "On second thought, I already know. Follow me."

Logan was hit with an eerie familiarity once he and Mystique had parted ways. They'd agreed to search the grounds, ready to face fierce opposition until they'd secured their positioning in finding Scott and Magneto. Logan was certain if Mystique located Magneto he wouldn't see her again, wouldn't hear another peep from either one of them, but it wasn't his concern. All he cared about was finding Scott, making sure he was safe and then bringing him home.

"Home," Logan mouthed to himself realizing that was the one thing he'd always felt was out of his reach. He'd been a loner, a man without a past, without a family or someone to love. It was easier being on his own, better not having to be swept up in sentimentalities or worries about the things he could lose. Now he looked to the ring he'd found in the hotel room, knowing he shouldn't have placed it on his finger, but he couldn't resist. He should've ignored it, but he was drawn to the idea of what Scott had been hoping for. He'd welcomed the feeling associated with it. Now as it fit perfectly over his finger he found he'd obtained all of those things he'd believed weren't meant for him. Scott wanted a life with him, a commitment and a future. Those were all out of Logan's reach given who he was, yet they were readily at his disposal, something he found himself longing for more than he cared to admit.

"I will find you," Logan vowed turning down a corner and knowing immediately that he was no longer alone. His senses were on overload, bringing out the scent of violence, of blood, of betrayal and rage. Spinning around to face the predator who stood behind him with a ferocity Logan snarled.

"Long time, no see Jimmy," Victor's voice taunted, amusement tickling over the corners of his lips, "For a while there I was almost afraid you wouldn't know where to find me."

"Where's Scott?" Logan questioned bitterly, his eyes narrowing at the man that had been banished from his memory for so many years. While Logan had once felt unwavering loyalty to Victor, he knew that it hadn't been enough. Victor's thirst of blood and chaos had driven Logan away and now, even with the past returning, Logan realized time hadn't changed a thing. He still wanted no part of it. Running his adamantium claws across the wall beside him, Logan continued to growl, "What have you done with him?"

"Isn't it obvious?" Victor roared with laughter and a nod down to his bloodied shirt, "He's dead Logan. Just like everything else you've tried to use as a tool for forgetting who you truly are, he's been destroyed. The threat eliminated."

Logan stood still, hearing the pleasure Victor savored in his confession. It was black, cold and unforgiving when Logan took in Scott's scent, felt Scott's pain and suffering surrounding him. There was so much blood on Victor's shirt. The red had soaked onto his body, stealing Scott's life force with every tortuous cut Victor had inflicted upon Logan's lover. There was too much blood for Scott to be alright. There was the remains of suffering and… Logan turned his eyes to the ring again remembering Scott's words to him.

"I'll always be safe with you," he could feel the trust and love in Scott's words. Logan knew the weight of such a feeling and belief in something that Logan could never be. With Scott's blood on Victor's shirt, Logan felt the final blow of humanity being torn away from him. Everything that mattered was gone, stolen from his life only unlike before it wouldn't be coming back to him. Scott was gone-ripped away forever.

"No!" Logan shouted, his voice loud and frightening. He charged towards Victor preparing to go to war with the brother he'd once fought side by side with. Scott's death would be avenged. Logan would move forward and finally give in to the monster he'd always fought not to become. His love was gone. All that remained was his wrath.

"He's here," Scott announced standing outside the red door at the end of the darkened hallway. His journey had taken him away from the main building, down towards what had appeared to be a medical facility, but it was one that was heavily guarded. He and Magneto hadn't endured too many problems in getting in when it was clear the reemergence in powers with both men were stronger than either had anticipated. The guards had fallen like flies, crumbling at their feet effortlessly. Their quest had gone unbroken, their mission unwavering now as they stood outside the door to the cell Charles was in.

"Excellent," Magneto reached his arm out towards the door, preparing to open it up with his mind when Scott stepped forward.

"No," Scott moved his arm out, preventing Magneto from following through on his thoughts, "allow me."

"As you wish," Magneto stepped aside watching Scott crash through the door to reveal the hospital bed where Charles was laying within. He was hooked up to machines, his body still and lifeless despite the controlled regulating of his heart.

"Professor," Scott rushed forward, feeling himself overtaken by relief in seeing the only father he'd ever truly known laying before him. He reached out to Charles, gripping his hand tightly when everything that Scott had ever known, everything that he'd believed to be true after he'd lost his powers proved to be nothing, but a lie. Jean hadn't destroyed Scott or the Professor. Whatever had happened wasn't what everyone believed. Charles alive in the bed, looking blankly at the ceiling was proof of that.

"You're alive," Scott choked up on his emotions, unable to mask the tears that threatened to overtake him. He squeezed the pale hand before him, relief carrying over his every syllable. Still when Charles didn't respond, Scott took in a breath and tried a different approach.

"Yes, I'm still here Scott," he heard Charles inside of his head, communicating with him telepathically, "I've been trapped just as you have been."

"We have to get out of here," Scott replied silently conveying his message to Charles. "We have to get help and…"

"Scott, there's something that you need to know. Something that I should've told you about Jean. Something that you should…" the professor's words rippled through Scott's mind, pouring out onto his lips and causing a new sensation to reverberate over his head, but before Scott could question it, he heard a primitive roar shaking the walls of the compound.

"Logan," Scott gasped breaking the psychic connection between him and Charles. Knowing what he had endured with Victor earlier, there wasn't a doubt in Scott's mind that Logan would believe the worst. Logan would think that Scott was dead when he discovered the blood and then…

"Go after him," Magneto suggested moving forward to stand on the opposite side of Charles' bed. "I'll get him out of here."

"I…" Scott opened his mouth, uncertain over trusting Magneto, but when he felt Charles inside his head again, telling Scott that everything would be alright, Scott took off after Logan ready to do what he could to protect the man he loved.

Once Scott had cleared the room Erik stepped forward, eyes scanning Charles completely in his frazzled state. Unable to hold back on the lump of emotion in his throat, Erik reached for Charles' hand, squeezing it in a small display of emotion.

"I know what you were about to say my friend, but if you were able to tell him the truth, you would lose him forever. You're smarter than that. He would never forgive you the betrayal," Erik shook his head and sighed. Looking to the machines that were pumping life into Charles, "Of course now isn't the time for that. Now is about my doing for you what you did for me all those years ago Charles."

The crunching of bones and spray of blood splattered across the walls of the building, causing the foundation to rumble around Logan and Victor. While it was reminiscent of the past, it didn't change the fact that Logan had lost control. He slammed forward, his claws ripping through the front of Victor's body before launching him across the room into a wall.

"You son of a bitch!" Logan snarled, seething with fury, "You had no right to play God with their lives."

"They were beneath you Jimmy," Victor spat out, his words laced with rage and jealousy, "You kept trying to be something you aren't. You aren't one of them!"

"I was happy!" Logan roared unceremoniously. "They were my life-my world."

"Kayla was a whore who lied to you. She used and betrayed you making you believe what Stryker wanted you to believe," Victor argued, his voice causing the walls to shake around them. "She was nothing. She couldn't love you like I did Jimmy, yet you threw us away to be with her. You gave up on our plans for a woman who played you for a fool."

"She was being used the same way we were. She was manipulated and…" Logan defended feeling a flash of a memory overtake him about the one woman who had twisted his heart at Stryker's bidding.

"No, she was wrong for you Jimmy. I'm your family. I'm the one you should've leaned on, not her," Victor snapped, anger pulsating in the vein on his forehead. "I was the one who protected you, who took care of you when the world was against us…"

"No," Logan shook his head firmly, "you were the one who wanted to keep me away from the world. You wanted me to be just like you-to be full of the hatred you thrived on."

"They're nothing Jimmy. They are collateral damage, but we could be gods," Victor coiled upright, his stance expanding with a glow of enthusiasm behind his eyes, "No one is like us. We're unstoppable and…"

"No," Logan shook his firmly, "they're something to me."

"Only because they've made you weak. That bitch clouded your head with her lies, filled your heart with her tall tales only to use it against you," Victor snarled, clenching his hands into fists and drawing his own blood. "Same for your boy toy. I could've killed him years ago. Should've destroyed him before you had the opportunity to let him make you weak."

"I love him," Logan blurted out loudly, surprising himself with the conviction in his tone, "He's the first person in my life that's ever made me feel as if I was someone worth fighting for. He's everything to me."

"Was everything to you," Victor corrected with a nefarious snarl, "because he's dead Logan. He's gone and that hold he has on you is no more. You belong to me again."

"Never!" Logan charged at Victor, claws flinging wildly, ready to destroy his brother without consequence. They slammed into the walls, ripping and shredding at one another in a violent, frantic display of rage. The room began to crumble down beneath them, tearing itself apart with their ferocity. The fight built, expanded bringing the beast out from within as both men vowed to tear the other apart. Their strikes grew more volatile, more explosive, sending each of them to the limit, pushing past it in the name of destruction.

"I'm going to kill you," Logan roared driving his claws into Victor's abdomen, thinking about all the joys he would never experience in his life without Scott. The long empty road was all that would be left for him, in a world devoid of the one thing he wanted more than anything. Digging deeper Logan continued to slash away at Victor's chest, wanting to rip his black heart out and destroy it in front of his very eyes, but as he realized what was next, he found himself frozen in the moment.

Closing his eyes, Logan thought to the life he'd lead, to the years he'd walked through the world without anyone to have by his side. He fought so many wars-too many wars. He'd endured the harshest of conditions, spent so much time alone, empty, lost inside of himself wishing that death would provide him with relief. Yes, he might've been stronger than most, but in seeing the world changing, shifting around him without any real connection, it had been disheartening. It caused him to question his purpose, his reasoning and even though he'd convinced the world around him he didn't need any of those things, he'd been lying to them. He'd lied to himself and it wasn't until Scott was in his life he realized how deluded he'd truly been. Even now the idea of having to face another day without waking up beside Scott, without being able to hold him in his arms or share a simple moment of teasing with him was too much to bear. He'd done it once before, but he'd be damned if he could do it again.

Releasing his hold on Victor, Logan pulled back stretching his arms out in the ultimate sacrifice. He closed his eyes and hoped like hell that Victor would take the bait, returning the fury Logan had unleashed on him moments earlier. If only Victor had the power to finish what Logan had unsuccessfully started time and time again. He stood in silent contemplation hoping like hell that he would be swept up from the world of misery, taken to a place where he might be able to find the peace and tranquility that this world had denied him. It was the coward's way out, yet in knowing it might take him to Scott again if by some chance Victor was strong enough to bring about Logan's demise, Logan was willing to let it all go.

"You're going to wish you hadn't done that," Victor leapt towards Logan ready to tear him apart when a loud scream pierced the air between them.

Logan's eyes snapped open just in time to watch Victor's face twist with horror, eyes wide with surprise when the red blasts sent him flying across the room, through one of the cracked walls. Disbelief carried over Logan watching the violent pulsating of the red beams before him, penetrating the side of the building and causing it to shake and rumble with force. Tipping his head up, he saw Scott approaching, arms out at his sides, holding nothing back in his attempt to put Victor down. Blinking Logan fought to process what he was seeing, to make sense of what he believed to be true, but when Scott stood before him, the beams started weakening until finally Scott's blue eyes returned, presenting Logan with the picture of the man he'd been with back in the hotel room.

"Scott," Logan spoke up in a shaky tone, his voice cracked and uneven in the moment. He stepped forward trying to process what was happening, to face the fact that Victor had lied to provoke him. Everything he'd feared was far from a reality.

"I can control it now Logan," Scott explained stepping in closer to Logan, his smile radiating through the chaos in the room. He was every bit as perfect as he'd been the night before.

"Summers I thought you were…" Logan climbed over the debris in front of him, "He said that you were…"

"I'm not," Scott replied feeling Logan reach out to touch the side of his face. Scott leaned into his touch savoring a moment of sentimentality between them, "He tried, but something's happened. Something's changed and…"

"You're safe," Logan blurted out unable to hold back from drawing Scott into a tight embrace. Although it was far from what Logan had anticipated ever being able to do again, it was the one thing that Logan knew he couldn't be without. Squeezing Scott tighter in his arms, he couldn't hold back on the lump of emotion in the back of his throat, "I thought that I lost you. He said that he…"

"I know," Scott held Logan tighter than before, "He wanted me to be, but something saved me. Something kept me from leaving you again. I just knew that…"

"I can't live without you Scott," Logan divulged pulling back just enough to see his lover's blue eyes before him, "I wanted to pretend that I could write this off as something simple, but nothing about being with you has ever been simple. I'm not sappy or prone to romantic overtures, but in thinking you were gone, it…it bothered me…"

"I love you too Logan," Scott couldn't help, but smirk knowingly, "I won't expect you to start shouting it from the rooftop anytime soon, but I know how you feel."

"Not because I've been so forthcoming in saying it, but I'm going to change that starting now," Logan decided cupping Scott's face in his hands, pulling him in closer for the beginnings of a kiss. With his lips a breath of a whisper away from Scott's, Logan started to speak up tenderly, "Scott, I lov…"

"No!" Victor roared above their reunion, rushing forward in a frantic fashion, bleeding and desperate to put a stop to what was happening. He slammed his arm out, pushing a button on the wall. A grinding sound surrounded them, causing the room to shake and tremor uncontrollably. Before Logan could process what was happening, there was a rumbling sound overhead, something that was indicating danger.

"Logan look out," Scott charged forward pushing Logan out of the way just in time to have the debris come crashing down upon him.

Logan watched horrified as the upper floors leveled out on the ground, covering almost everything in it's path. He was surrounded by smoke and concrete, the walls of the fortress crumbling much as it had before. He could recall the pain he'd endured in the past at letting go, but it paled in comparison to the chaos that surrounded his heart.

"It's for the best Jimmy," Victor's words shook through the room, beckoning Logan from his thoughts just in time to see his brother slip out of the room. Logan contemplated going after him, but when thoughts of Scott consumed him, Logan stepped forward braving the rubble to save him.

Dodging the falling concrete Logan moved fluidly through the room, avoiding the inevitable disaster that surrounded him. He slashed through the concrete, tearing at the metal that crumbled around him. All that mattered was Scott and pulling him out of the wreckage. There was so much damage, so many things that Logan wanted to do and say. He couldn't lose his chance, he couldn't have Scott ripped away from him all over again. It couldn't end this way. Things weren't meant to be like this again.

"Please," Logan found himself pleading to a higher power that he was certain he hadn't ever truly believed in. He slashed at the wreckage, continuing to throw the rubble around further. He kept clawing and tearing, finding himself hit by the debris, but it didn't phase him. Nothing did until he found Scott.

Seconds passed like hours, compiling the fear in Logan's heart, causing him to question the twist fate had put upon him, but when he spotted Scott's crushed hand before him, lifeless and still on the concrete, he howled miserably. Digging and ripping at the concrete again he wasn't giving up, wouldn't back down. It wasn't going to end this way. It couldn't!

Pacing around the hallway, Logan knew no one dared to speak with him. They all had been wanting to, but they'd said nothing. They had given him space, all providing him with the time he needed to immerse himself in his thoughts. Though as much as Logan appreciated their respecting his privacy, he had to admit that being alone was the last thing he wanted or needed. Closing his eyes he found himself taken back again to the island where his world fell to pieces.

Logan's hands shook, remembering what it felt like to tear Scott out from underneath that wreckage, to carry his broken body out into the darkness, breathless and unmoved by the moment. The truth was evident when Logan felt the warmth leave Scott's body, but he couldn't let go. He wouldn't let go even after he'd been ushered away from the island. He'd finally found Scott again, so losing him couldn't be a part of the equation. He couldn't go there-not now, not when he still had so much to say to Scott.

"I'm so sorry," Hank had offered up in consolation after Scott had been brought back to the school. "We did everything we could Logan, but…"

"No buts," Logan snarled, slamming Hank up against the wall furiously, "you get in there and do everything in your power to stop this. You bring him back! I'm not going to lose him. Not now…"

"Logan," Hank offered up apologetically.

"Get in there," Logan had shoved Hank back into the medical wing, ignoring what science was saying to him in the moment. He knew that he needed a miracle, wanted something that could provide him with comfort and the joy that he'd been taken from time and time again.

"It's happening again," a voice inside of his mind taunted, tormenting him with Victor's words.

"_You kept trying to be something you aren't. You aren't one of them!"_

Perhaps Victor was right. If Logan had believed that, if he'd felt that truth from the start, then he never would've come here. He never would've found Scott, never would've placed him in danger. Now with the walls crumbling around him on an emotional level, Logan knew he had to escape. He had to get some air before his heart imploded in his chest, sending him to a place where he didn't want to be.

Rushing out back to the pool, Logan sucked in a breath, feeling the air surround his lungs, but it wasn't enough. He couldn't take in enough oxygen to calm his heart, to still the chaos inside of him at the knowledge that his past had stolen Scott from his life. He'd tried so hard to prove to Summers that he was all wrong for him, yet Scott had refused to believe it. Scott hadn't given up on Logan when all logic and reason dictated that he should have. Now closing his eyes Logan thought back to the beginnings of their relationship with one another.

"_What are you doing Logan?" Scott has asked wearily, watching Logan emerge from the edge of the pool naked and unembarrassed by his state of undress._

"_Taking a time out," Logan replied shaking his head and allowing the water droplets to fall freely from his thick, unruly, dark hair, "It's good for relaxing. You should try it sometime." _

"_I think I'll pass," Scott wrinkled his nose at Logan, his eyes hidden beneath the visor that Logan knew Scott used to shield himself from the world around him. It was an easy way for Scott to hide his emotions, to refrain from revealing his true nature to those who tried to get close to him. Still Logan was relentless._

"_Because you want to or because you think it's what you want me to hear you say?" Logan challenged taking a step forward, his hungry gaze sweeping over Scott's lean, muscular form. The corners of his mouth twisted upward in the beginnings of a smirk, "Live a little Summers. You might find you enjoy living life on the edge." _

"_I seriously doubt it," Scott folded his arms in front of his chest defiantly, "I think I've already done more than enough of that lately with all that's happened." _

"_Suit yourself then," Logan shrugged simply turning around to return to the edge water. He thrust forward sliding himself carefully into the shallow end, cautiously paddling out a few steps before turning around to seek out Scott. Much to his disappointment Scott was no longer waiting at the edge of the pool preparing to spar with him verbally. It was disappointing to say the least, but just as well Logan realized knowing only too well his thoughts of Summers would give him away should Summers have accepted his suggestion._

_Going under in the water Logan contemplated resuming in a swim, hoping it would do the trick to wear himself out completely in knowing that he'd pushed the envelope with Summers. He'd been flirting shamelessly with Scott for a while now, hoping Scott would take the bait, but he'd been stoic in his actions, clueless in every way imaginable. If it hadn't been for that damned incredible kiss they'd shared, then Logan would've thought that Scott hadn't been interested. Still with the memory of their kiss imprinted over him, Logan knew not even the pool could take away from what was troubling him._

"_Damn it," Logan cursed pulling himself over to the edge of the pool. He'd played it cool, steered in the safety zone with Summers for longer than he'd cared to admit, but now he was going to put it all out on the line. If Scott truly wasn't interested, he'd move on, but if there was some small inkling of a chance that he and Summers could have a little fun with one another, then he was going to exploit the possibility to the fullest._

"_You can't keep avoiding me Summers," he snarled stepping out of the water once again armed with the determination to get a straight answer out of Scott. He was halfway across the yard when he heard Scott call out to him from behind a tree._

"_I wasn't avoiding you Logan," Scott beckoned him, causing him to stand frozen in the moonlight, exposed to the world. "I just needed to process things for myself." _

"_Process," Logan repeated with a roll of his eyes, "Scott, do you have any idea how ridiculous that sounds when…?" _

"_Not nearly as ridiculous as it feels to be standing here pretending that being close to you doesn't phase me," Scott divulged in the darkness, his approach tentative and cautious across the yard. "Do you have any idea how much everything inside of me wants to reach out and kiss you again like we did the other day? Do you know how it feels to have to face that when I should be thinking about what losing Jean has done to my world?" _

"_No one is denying what losing Jean has done to all of us, but at the same time, you can't stop hiding from what you are," Logan shifted directions, sliding in closer to Scott. His eyes were focused on Scott's lips remembering their incredible taste, "You can't keep pretending there isn't something here Summers." _

"_I haven't been trying to pretend," Scott stated simply, "just processing." _

"_Processing," Logan couldn't help but groan, "what the hell does that mean?" _

"_It means that if I do this…if we do this, then I don't want to do this halfway," Scott explained making a small movement towards Logan, "I don't want to pretend that this comes easy for me. I'm not going to lie and say that I'm not terrified because I am." _

"_I'm not going to hurt you," Logan's voice softened, his eyes sweeping over Scott now that fear and worry coiled over Scott's scent._

"_Of course you are," Scott let out a nervous laugh, "it's who you are, but please I ask of you, if we do this, just don't break my heart. I don't think I could go through that again in this lifetime." _

"_You're getting too far ahead of yourself Summers," Logan had laughed at the time, "Right now it's about seeing where this goes for us and having a little fun along the way."_

Now as Logan returned to the moment thinking about all they'd lost, he wondered if he should've just let things go. If he'd only ignored his instincts, walked away from his desire and stayed away from the school, would things be different for him and Scott? Would they be able to be happy in the not knowing what might have been? Could Logan truly have been satisfied in never knowing what it was he would be forced to live without?

The door to the medical wing opened fluidly with no indication of the intruder within the walls. It should've been harder to enter into the area, but with security clearance, no one would question it. Looking to the identification badge on the pocket, she knew that no one would question her. They hadn't thus far and they wouldn't long after she was gone. They would simply appreciate the after effects of her actions. Yes, she would be someone they owed a favor to, but she wouldn't collect on it…yet.

Now standing in the room where Scott Summers was laying on a cot looking as if his time had expired, she knew they weren't expecting his rebirth. They hadn't seen it even in her warnings that it would happen. He was far from finished, but their narrow-minded perspective on the world would prevent them from truly understanding what was happening. To them he was gone, dead to the world, but his journey was only beginning. She knew it and deep down she was certain Logan still felt it.

"They aren't going to understand it, but what makes sense to us will never be clear in their minds," she whispered bringing her fingers through his dark hair. She smiled down at him seeing how at peace he appeared to be in his rest. He was beautiful in his own right, precious and angelic in his retreat. She could see why so many people were drawn to him, why so many others had found him admirable. He was handsome, not as rough around the edges in a primitive way as Logan had been, but striking in his own distinct way.

"You'll find peace soon Scott," she whispered bending down to kiss his forehead in a gesture far too tender for her. It was something that she'd hoped to avoid, hoped to pull from her mind completely, but she couldn't help it. Even if Scott didn't feel for her what she'd felt for him, she still couldn't escape it. She still wanted what was best for him only now wasn't about her needs. Now was about helping him fulfill his destiny. Undoubtedly he didn't need her to help push it along, but given their lack of faith, she would speed up the process giving Scott the much needed return to life.

"Good luck," she whispered pulling the vial from her pocket and drawing in a breath. She reached for his arm, stretching it out and inserting the needle knowing soon enough they would all be in for a surprise. Things were about to change all over again.


	13. Chapter 13

A throbbing, pounding ache carried over Logan's head now that he sat in the corner of the hospital room wondering if the chairs would ever get any more comfortable. Somehow he was starting to believe that it was a prerequisite to being in a hospital room to be absolutely miserable and crunched into a torture chamber they called a chair. He stretched his legs out, cracking his adamantium laced bones. Their protest to his movements creaked loudly causing his companion to groan.

"Don't you ever get tired of that?" Scott questioned with a yawn, stretching out underneath the blanket, "I swear every morning it's the same process Logan. You swear, you kick the garbage can beside you, send trash flying across the room and then you stretch out, sounding like you're going to break in two."

"And every morning you complain that I'm disturbing your beauty rest princess," Logan spoke up in a mocking tone while quietly sliding the overturned trash can with his foot beneath the chair. Although he couldn't see Scott's eyes through the thick, ruby glasses he was wearing, he knew only too well that Scott was shooting a glare at him. That in itself only fueled Logan on further to taunt him, "I think you should just pipe down because your snoring is more than enough to drive a man crazy."

"I don't snore," Scott wrinkled his nose in protest.

"Yes, you do," Logan stood upright, stretching out and purposely cracking his bones again, "and it's rather annoying."

"So then sleep somewhere else," Scott groaned falling back onto his pillows again, "If I'm so much of an inconvenience to you…"

"You're the biggest inconvenience," Logan bounced onto the bed beside Scott, crashing down with a deep force of weight, "which is why I've decided when you get out of here we're going to have you moved out of your bedroom at the school. It's entirely in the wrong place to provide me with a good night's sleep."

"Excuse me?" Scott tipped his head to the side, still shooting that same glare up at Logan.

"I'm just saying," Logan shrugged his shoulders simply, "I figure maybe we can try something different…say like…oh I don't know you moving into my room, so I can just stuff a sock in your throat if you don't shut the hell up."

"A sock," Scott's lip curled in annoyance, "Seriously?"

"Hmm, well maybe not a sock, but it's something that rhymes with sock…" Logan teased preparing to toss out something lewd and obscene when Scott reached out to snake his arm around Logan's neck. His fingers curled tightly though Logan's hair, pulling and wrenching on Logan's head until their mouths were a breath away from one another.

"Do us both a favor and shut up," Scott suggested with a wiggle of his brow underneath the glasses he was wearing.

"I can live with that," Logan decided leaning forward and capturing Scott's mouth in a slow, tender display of longing. He felt Scott's arms wrap around him, pulling Logan down to lay beside him on the bed. As they parted, Logan couldn't help, but note the smile on Scott's face, "My you are feeling better, aren't you?"

"More so each day," Scott divulged leaning forward to nibble on Logan's lower lip eagerly.

"Glad to hear it," Logan wrapped his arm around Scott's waist, unable to resist the urge to hover over Scott, pushing him down into the blankets with a groan. Positioning himself carefully over Scott, Logan couldn't help, but savor the feel of Scott's thigh pressed up against his. It was all Logan could do to keep from giving in to temptation when Scott's fingers danced over the back of his spine.

"Okay, if you both start stripping down I'm going to throw up," Marie's voice pulled them from the moment. Logan pulled back seeing her standing before him with a wrinkled expression on her face, "Don't get me wrong I think it's wonderful that you both are together and if you were naked, well I wouldn't exactly object to seeing the show, but there are other children outside. It is a school after all."

"Fair enough," Scott conceded, a blush carrying over his features.

"We'll lock the door next time," Logan couldn't help but tease, possessively wrapping his arm around Scott's shoulders.

"Yeah, well whatever. Scott's needed in therapy," Marie turned her attention to Scott, "I've been nominated to take you down there today."

"Excellent," Scott tipped his head to the side and laughed, "I'm guessing that's because my last escort didn't get me there in time."

"Hey, what can I say? I'm a man with a mission and mine was…" Logan curled his lip suggestively, preparing to say something naughty.

"Right now I think less is more Logan," Marie interjected shooting Logan a look.

"Fair enough," Logan agreed with a shrug, "but that's not what Summers was saying last night when…"

"Can you give us a minute Marie?" Scott questioned taking in a breath.

"Sure," Marie nodded with a laugh and a shake of her head, "but don't make me hose you both down."

"You might enjoy that especially when I have my hose…" Logan began only to feel Scott poke him in the ribs.

"Hey," Scott warned sharply, "a little discretion Logan."

"Oh please," Logan shook his head and laughed, "she knows what we're like. Besides we're not fooling anyone."

"I have a reputation to uphold," the corners of Scott's mouth twisted in a soft scowl.

"Yeah of being a priss, which I must admit you're doing rather well now that we've returned," Logan jabbed with a teasing grin.

"Keep talking like that and you'll see just how much of a priss I can be later tonight," Scott warned sharply, the laughter emanating from his tone, "In all seriousness though I don't want my students to start spending their time in class imagining the two of us together naked and…"

"I would be if I was in your class. Come to think of it maybe I should be stopping by more often," Logan wiggled his brow suggestively, "It might be fun."

"For you," Scott groaned outwardly.

"Exactly," Logan curled his finger underneath Scott's chin lovingly, "although if you want to be technical I'm sure we can find a way to make it fun for you as well. Maybe we could get this detention scenario going and…"

"Now who is full of cheesy fantasies?" Scott couldn't help but laugh, a genuine warmth carrying over him in the moment.

"Hey, what can I say?" Logan poked at Scott's side, "Maybe you're rubbing off on me after all."

"Heaven forbid," Scott teased with a wrinkled expression.

"I don't know," Logan sighed pretending to ponder the notion, "I suppose it wouldn't be so bad."

"You say that now, but I know you," Scott issued him another long look, "I highly doubt you want to be picking up on all my mannerisms considering that…"

"You have a few that I wouldn't mind testing out every now and then especially that one not that long ago where we were at the hotel and…" Logan's voice fell to a muted whisper, his teeth grazing the side of Scott's neck. His hand pressed over Scott's chest, sliding down over the hospital gown to his abdomen.

"I have therapy Logan," Scott reminded him with a pinched groan, "and if I'm late again…"

"They'll know who to blame," Logan continued to kiss at the side of Scott's neck leisurely. He dropped his hand into Scott's lap in a teasing brush before Scott sighed.

"Logan, I mean it," Scott turned his head to the side, his glasses shifting on his face.

"Okay," Logan pulled back seeing Scott reach for the glasses, securing them in place, "hey, do you need help with those?"

"No," Scott shook his head in refusal, "It's just taking some time to adjust to them again after not having them for so long."

"I know," Logan admitted touching the side of Scott's face poignantly, "they are an adjustment. I miss your beautiful, blue eyes throughout the day."

"Me too," Scott sighed lowering his head for a moment, "but I want to be safe Logan. You know that."

"I do," Logan nodded in agreement.

"I just don't want it to come back when I least expect it like it did before. If I can't control it around others given that I still don't understand what's happening to me," Scott stiffened at the thought of what damage he could cause with his eyes.

"You will be able to in time," Logan touched the side of Scott's face. He pushed the glasses away from Scott's eyes just in time to see Scott close them tightly refusing to reveal their deep, blue depths.

"Logan," Scott chastised with a frown feeling worry bristle over his skin, "I know you're into pushing the envelope here, but…"

"I'm willing to risk it," Logan leaned forward, stealing a quick kiss from Scott. He stroked the side of Scott's face, sliding his fingers into Scott's hair in a tentative brush.

"Maybe I'm not," Scott's eyelashes fluttered open to reveal the beginnings of chastising Logan in blue depths.

"Too bad," Logan groaned outwardly unable to resist the urge to lean in closer to Scott, "every morning and at night isn't enough for me when I love looking at you."

"I realize that Logan, but…" Scott curled his lip in protest, preparing to offer up a rational reasoning for being secretive about his powers.

"You shouldn't be so afraid of what you can do Summers," Logan smiled feeling a warmth carry over him in seeing Scott's concern in the moment between them. Leaning forward Logan pressed a kiss over Scott's forehead gently, "I know you can control it."

"Even so," Scott quickly reached for the glasses pushing them up over his face again, "I think it's easier if we don't let everyone else know what's happening."

"Scott, you can't hide from what's happening forever," Logan couldn't help, but frown at Scott's decision to keep his condition hidden from everyone else.

"It's not forever. I just need to understand it more," Scott sighed leaning in against Logan's shoulder and enjoying the moment of ease between them, "I need to know why now I can control it or if I am really in control."

"What about everything else?" Logan questioned wearily, his eyes searching Scott's features all over again.

"I haven't been intentionally reading minds lately if that's what you're asking," Scott confessed sheepishly, his cheeks growing a pale, crimson shade all over again, "the healing on the other hand, well I think I'm going to be out of therapy soon."

"Because you feel that way or because you read your therapist's mind?" Logan gave him another long, disbelieving look.

"Just once," Scott shrugged simply, "and it's not my fault. It's not like I was trying to do so, but when I caught her looking at you the other day I couldn't help, but wonder if she was thinking about you naked."

"Was she?" Logan perked up raising a curious brow.

"That's beside the point," Scott scowled in response, a glare overtaking his handsome features.

"That's a yes," Logan laughed wildly. He kicked his legs over the side of the bed, overtaken with amusement, "Hell in knowing that, I think I'm going to excuse Marie from her duty. I'll take you to therapy."

"Like hell you will," Scott gave Logan another look, a frown overtaking his features. "The last place I want is to have you around her considering that…"

"You'll deal with it," Logan decided with a small laugh enjoying the way he could still get Scott going without trying. It seemed as though some things would never change.

"This isn't where I'm supposed to meet my therapist Logan," Scott frowned, feeling Logan push him along in the hospital issued wheelchair. While Scott knew full well that he didn't need it, he still went along with the system doing what was expected of him until he could figure things out. He'd been trying to sort out his condition, making sense of his miraculous recovery with Logan's help.

Although Logan had filled Scott in on the details of what had transpired in the building collapsing, it seemed that Logan had received more information from Mystique before the accident that had piqued both of their curiosities. While Scott didn't trust a thing that Mystique had to say, there was something that rang true to the story that Logan had revealed to him. Something had changed, something was truly different now that Scott's powers were more in his control. He seemed to be able to turn it off when the mood hit and bring it back with concentration, which was something he hadn't been able to do before in his life. Plus with his healing abilities and the occasional moment of telepathy it all started leading Scott to wonder if somehow, somewhere he'd picked up parts of Jean and Logan in his change. It had crossed his mind a lot lately especially when he was alone given that he hadn't possessed either power before. They were foreign to him, yet they were still present, still strengthening him in their own way. Still he knew they didn't belong to him.

"We're almost there," Logan had pulled Scott from his thoughts, bringing Scott to the realization that they were headed out to the gardens away from the therapy room.

"No we aren't Logan," Scott argued realizing that Logan was in the mood for trouble today, "Logan, I'm telling you that…"

"That this is where you belong," Logan explained positioning the wheelchair in the center of the gardens, in the midst of the multicolored roses. Not far beyond where they were was a white bench where the students would read in between classes and take in the beautiful scenery. Truth be told it was a place where Scott had written many flowery sonnets on love and romance. It was something that Logan had teased him for in the past, but Scott didn't mind as much anymore.

"Think you can walk over to the bench?" Logan questioned offering his hand up to Scott.

"You already know I can," Scott wrinkled his nose readily. He accepted Logan's hand before pulling himself out of the wheelchair, "If this is your way of breaking it to my therapist that I've been playing a big game of bluff with her…"

"I actually had your therapy session cancelled today," Logan divulged with a wicked smirk expanding over his features.

"What?" Scott blinked back at him, "Why?"

"Because I knew you were faking and plus," Logan guided Scott over to the bench to take a seat with him, "I figured it would give us an excuse to find a place to go hide and make out for a while."

"Oh God," Scott groaned outwardly, "you can't tell me that you're serious. She's going to come searching for me and…"

"No she won't," Logan shook his head and laughed, "besides isn't this what you've always dreamt about? Having me in the gardens to read me poetry, to look at all the pretty flowers and…"

"Now you're mocking me," Scott frowned intensely.

"Maybe just a little, but all that's missing from this scenario is candlelight," Logan teased pulling a lighter out of his pocket. He flicked the flame on and held it up between the two of them with a smirk, "Now we're all good."

"You're being an ass," Scott groaned outwardly, feeling as if Logan was once again taking a jab at Scott's overly romantic nature.

"Perhaps a little bit, but…" Logan pushed the lighter into his pocket, instead returning to Scott with a small box in his hand, "I was thinking that maybe it was time we put all joking aside and took things to the next level."

"The next level?" Scott eyed the box suspiciously, his own curiosities mounting in the moment.

"As you can see this one is stuck on me," Logan held his hand up in the air, revealing the ring that Scott had bought for him. While Scott had noticed it on Logan's finger, he hadn't thought to question Logan on it. He figured if Logan wanted to discuss it, then Logan would bring it up eventually. Apparently today was that day.

"Look I," Scott began contemplating his words, but he was stopped by the sight of Logan opening the box he'd been holding. Within the velvety packaging, was a similar ring lined with diamond and rubies.

"I figured maybe it was time to have something that sticks with you as well," Logan explained pushing the ring out of the package and reaching for Scott's hand, "I know it's not the whole Barbie dream fantasy you've got going, but I figure I may as well let everyone know that you're mine. If this helps me claim ownership…"

"Logan, I don't know what to say," Scott found himself at a loss, completely touched by his lover's gesture. Although Logan had been downplaying the moment, there was so much sentiment pouring out into it, so many things that Logan was contemplating saying, but Scott knew he didn't have to.

"If you start telling people we're going steady I will have to kick your ass," Logan warned him sharply, his brow bristling in warning.

"Deal," Scott couldn't help, but bite down to suppress the laugh that rumbled in the back of his throat.

"And this doesn't mean matching outfits or his and her towels because I swear if you even think about that kind of overly domestic nausea Summers, then…" Logan's words were cut off by the feel of Scott's lips over his, kissing him tenderly in a moment of true devotion and longing. Scott's arms slid around Logan's shoulders, pulling him in closer to him. Their kiss expanded, tongues tasting, teasing, tantalizing one another until finally Scott pulled back breathless knowing the words that Logan had front and center in his mind. Perhaps exploiting telepathy wasn't so bad if it was for a good cause, Scott reasoned hearing Logan's sentiment loud and clear inside of his head.

"I love you too," Scott murmured leaning forward to kiss Logan again eagerly.

"I hate it when you do that Summers," Logan scowled pulling away from the kiss just enough to see the twisted smirk carrying over Scott's otherwise innocent features, "You really spoil a moment and…"

"I thought it was going rather well," Scott inched in closer to Logan again, this time wrapping his arms around Logan fully.

"Yeah, well fuck you," Logan snarled, unable to resist the urge to dip down and nibble on Scott's lower lip with a growl. He bit down on the soft, plump flesh, enjoying the rush of electricity that surrounded him in having Scott's warm breath carry over him. Sliding his fingers up into Scott's hair, he reached out to draw Scott into his arms more completely. Once he was satisfied with their positioning, Logan pulled back just enough to take a moment to push Scott's glasses away from his face. He knew Scott was thinking about protesting, contemplating all the reasons why they shouldn't be exposing Scott's secret, but Logan didn't care. With Scott in his arms all he wanted to think about what was ahead for them.

"Was that an invitation?" Scott couldn't help but tease, feeling the fire burning beneath the surface between them. He placed his hand on Logan's chest, feeling the furious pounding of his heart.

"Perhaps," Logan shrugged his shoulders simply, his eyes memorizing the lines of Scott's face, "oh and by the way Summers, next time don't cut me off. It's worth waiting for."

"What is?" Scott feigned innocence, his blue eyes searching Logan's for a long moment.

"You're a real asshole, but for some reason I can't help, but love you," Logan sighed cupping Scott's face in his hands and freely giving himself to the moment, "I do love you Summers. That's never going to change for us."

"Somehow I've always known that Logan, but hearing it from your lips, well it makes this all the more interesting," Scott confessed sliding in closer against Logan.

"Hey, what can I say? I'm an interesting kind of guy," Logan dipped down to steal a quick kiss from Scott again, "although if we're going to be in this long term, then the Chia Pet has got to go."

"I happen to think the Chia Pet is…" Scott curled his lip in protest preparing to say something to defend his ridiculous looking plant, but before he could finish his statement Logan cut him off with another eager kiss. "On second thought the Chia Pet is history."

"Good answer," Logan laughed lightly knowing that while life was still full of questions and plenty of answers ahead for the future, things were finally as they should be for them together.

"How touching," Erik mocked the moment, turning away from the gardens to face Charles fully, "It seems that your protégé ended up getting his happy ending with that narcissist after all."

"So it would seem," Charles nodded, drawing in a small breath as he and Erik moved away to give Scott and Logan privacy with one another, "I intend to keep it that way for him as long as possible."

"Considering that the wall you put up in his mind didn't help him in the long run, you do realize it will continue to crumble until he realizes fully what they've done to him," Erik noted with a shake of his head, "They are already questioning what's happening to him."

"I'm well aware of that," Charles sighed heavily, knowing only too well of the burden he had to carry with the secrets he'd been harboring. "When the time comes I'll…"

"You'll what? Explain to him why you kept the truth away from him?" Erik questioned curiously, "Tell him it was for his own good?"

"Jean was out of control when she became Phoenix and given Scott's history-with what they did to him," Charles sighed feeling the weight of the heavy burden upon him that he'd been holding, "It's best if some things were left unsaid."

"This will not end favorably for you Charles. You know that as well as I do that when he learns the truth, you will unleash something you won't be entirely prepared for," Erik warned out of genuine concern for his long time friend, "It will end poorly for you as you have told me a great many times when you felt I was approaching a situation without caution and reason."

"I don't have a choice," Charles sighed heavily, his brow creased with burden, "Right now Scott has Logan and they can face this together. They'll be able to move forward with their lives, finding what they've both been missing without question…"

"Life is full of questions Charles, some greater than others," Erik continued, voice full of the knowledge and concern that Charles carried himself about their deceptions, "sooner or later those questions lead to dark truths and answers. This could be dangerous."

"I wouldn't do this if I had another option," Charles decided looking beyond where they stood with one another to see a small boy playing on the front lawn, laughing and swinging around in the arms of the nanny Charles had provided him with. There was a contentment, a joy that surrounded the child, keeping him blissfully unaware of his surroundings now that his bright, blue eyes sparkled with enthusiasm.

"Scott's going to find out about his son and when he does, he's going to be out for blood. Your blood more specifically my friend," Erik reminded him with a heavy sigh, "He trusts you. He believes in you implicitly and if he knows the levels you've gone to in order to destroy that faith…"

"Everything I'm doing, I'm doing for Scott. It's the right thing even if it feels contrary," Charles nodded alerting the nanny before him that it was time to leave. She smiled scooting the small boy towards the car she'd brought him to the school in, "It's for the best."

"We'll see my friend, but when the cards fall into place you may find yourself in the center of a war you won't be able to control," Erik sighed knowing full well that the voice of reason wasn't a role that suited him, still with concern for Charles fresh on his mind, he spoke up again, "This could very well be the beginning of the end."

"It won't turn to that," Charles replied smoothly, his worries being pushed inside long enough to think about the greater good for everyone involved. While he'd never been an advocate for lying, he needed a little more time, needed a little room regain his bearings and figure out everything. Then and only then would he be able to share the truth. He just hoped and prayed when that time came to be that Scott and Logan would both grow to understand.

The End


End file.
